A local shops at Aeon Long Bien shopping mall. (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – The consumer price index (CPI) in February rose1.04% against January and 3.98% year-on-year, fueled by high consumer demandfor Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday and a surge in rice prices, the GeneralStatistics Office said on February 29.
In the first two months, the CPI rose 3.67% from the same time last year, whilecore inflation edged up 2.84%.
The statistics office said that greater domestic demand for rice on theoccasion of the Land Genie and Kitchen Gods worshipping day and Tet holidayresulted in an increase of 21.6% in rice prices, contributing 0.55 percentagepoints to the overall CPI.
In the basket of goods andservices that make up the CPI, prices rose in electricity (9.44%), education(8.47%), medicine and medical services (6.52%), housing and building materials(5.66%), food (0.89%) and culture, entertainment and tourism (1.3%).
Meanwhile, the post and telecommunications saw its prices dropping 1.45% year-on-yearas enterprises ran promotional programmes for old-generation phones.
In February, gold prices expanded 2.01% from the previous month and 16.67%year-on-year as demand for the metal shot up on the God of Wealth Day onFebruary 19 (10th day of the first lunar month). During January – February,the prices went up 16.05%.
The USD rose against the VND by 0.4% month-on-month to hover around 25,115VND./.
