The index marked a 3.86 percent riseyear-on-year and 1.61 percent increase from the last December. In the first fivemonths of this year, it rose by 3.01 percent.
Among 11 commodity and service groups, nineposted monthly hikes in prices, including transportation (1.72 percent); foodand catering services (0.88 percent); housing, water and electricity supply,and construction materials (0.34 percent); household equipment and appliances(0.1 percent); beverages and cigarettes (0.08 percent); culture, entertainmentand tourism (0.08 percent); apparel, headwear and footwear (0.08 percent);medicines and health care services (0.03 percent); and goods and other services(0.02 percent).
Post and telecommunications services prices fell0.14 percent.
Do Thi Ngoc, head of the GSO’s StatisticsDepartment, attributed the CPI growth to rising pork and animal feed prices,higher demand for dining and tourism during the April 30 – May 1 holiday,increased petrol and gasoline prices, as well as higher demand for electricityand water on hot days.
Factors curbing the CPI increase included freshand processed fruits (down 0.03-1.16 percent), housing for rent (down 0.25percent).
The US dollar price was down slightly at about22,790 VND.
Basic inflation (CPI exclusive of freshfood, energy, and State-controlled services such as health care and education)moved up 0.11 percent month-on-month and 1.37 percent annually in May, pushingits five-month figure by 1.34 percent, proving that monetary policy remainsstable.-VNA