The consumer price index (CPI) grows 2.82 percent in the first three months of 2018. (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) - The consumer price index (CPI) grew 2.82 percent in the firstthree months of 2018 compared to the same period last year, reported theGeneral Statistics Office (GSO).
The GSO and the Ministry of Planning and Investment held a press conference inHanoi on March 29 to inform the country’s socio-economic indexes in the firstquarter of this year.
InMarch, the index declined 0.27 percent from February but increased 2.66 percentover the same period last year.
Thegrowth of CPI in the first quarter was attributable to an annual surge in anumber of goods categories.
Theprice index of health services soared 35.32 percent during the period, bringingthe overall CPI up by 1.37 percent. The increase was a result of the HealthMinistry issuing reference fees for health services targeting people withouthealth insurance across 18 centrally run provinces and cities.
Anumber of provinces increased tuition fees in the months, making the priceindex of educational services up by 6.57 percent, thus adding 0.34-percentincrease to the overall CPI.
Workers’average wage has been raised since January 1 this year, followed by increasesin prices of maintaining and fixing household items and water-electricityservices.
The first and secondmonths involved the New Year holidays so there was a high demand for goods and thenprices across various services, including food, beverage, apparel, publictransport, and tourism were up.
The price ofbeverage and cigarettes and that of ready-to-wear clothes rose 1.36 percent and1.39 percent, respectively, while the price of public transport service rose1.87 percent year on year.
The price of gas was up by 2.83 percent and that of petroleum surged 9.18percent year on year.
The price of USdollar remained quite stable while that of gold fluctuated to the price in theworld.
According to the GSO, core inflation in January-March (CPI exclusive of freshfood, energy and State-run health and education services) moved up 1.34 percentyear-on-year.-VNA
VNA
