HCM City ’s CPI increased by 1.68 percent against January and 9.45percent compared to the same period last year, said the municipalStatistics Office.
Highest price increases were seen in culture-entertainment-tourism (3percent) and food (2.66 percent) due to the celebration of the LunarNew Year Festival (Tet). The price of pork rose 2.41 percent; beef,2.65 percent; poultry, 3.51 percent; and vegetables, 5.93 percent.
Slight rises were reported in the prices of equipment and householdutensils (0.23 percent) and medicine and medical services (0.21percent). But the price of post and telecommunications service wentdown by 1.30 percent.
Meanwhile, Hanoi ’s CPI rose by 2.61 percent against January and 9.69 percent over the same period last year.
Four of 11 commodities recorded high price increases at 2.28-4.24percent including restaurant and food services; beverages andcigarettes; housing, electricity, fuel and construction materials; andhousehold utensils.
Meanwhile, the prices of medicine and medical services; transport;culture, entertainment and tourism; education; textiles and garments,and footwear went up by between 0.03 – 1.97 percent.
The price of post and telecommunications services went down, as it did in HCM, by 1.30 percent./.