Illustrative image (Source: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Theconsumer price index (CPI) in September rose 0.32 percent over the previousmonth, said General Director of the General Statistics Office (GSO) Nguyen BichLam.
Lam said at a press conference onSeptember 28 that the figurerepresents a 2.2 percent rise over the number in December2018 and a 1.98 percent increase from the same month last year.
Averagely, in the first ninemonths of 2019, the CPI rose 2.5 percent year on year, the lowest level in the pastthree years, he added.
The rise in educational services,impacts from African swine fever and flooding in some localities, as well asthe State Bank of Vietnam’s efforts to keep flexible monetary policies andstable macro-economy are major factors pushingup the CPI in the month, he said.
Meanwhile, Do Thi Ngoc, head ofthe GSO’s Price Statistics Department, explained that higher demand in theLunar New Year in February this year led to an increase in prices of food andcatering, transport and tourism services. Especially, a 4.21 percent rise infood price, including an 8.04 percent hike in pork price, pushed the CPI inJanuary-September period up by about 0.34 percent.
At the same time, electricityprice in the first nine months of this year rose 7.69 percent year on year,resulting in an additional 0.18 percent increase in the CPI.
Ngoc added that areascontributing to upturn in the CPI also included healthcare services, education,construction materials, and stationary.
On the contrary, factors thathelp slow down the CPI rise included petrol price, which has been reduced by3.46 percent so far this year, helping to lower the CPI by 0.14 percent. Gasprice in the first nine months of 2019 also dropped 5.97 percent.
Adjustments in tuition in Ho ChiMinh City’s public education facilities in February this year also helped lowerthe CPI of the country by 0.03 percent, she added.
According the GSO General Director,general inflation in the first nine months ofthis year is higher than the core inflation (CPIexcluding foodstuff, fresh food, energy, healthcare and education services).Core inflation in the period is about 1.91 percent, showing the stablemanagement in currency policy./.
VNA
