Vietnam’s consumer price index (CPI) in April went up 0.08 percent monthly and 2.75 percent annually, pushing up the four-month figure by 2.8 percent year-on-year, reported the General Statistics Office (GSO) on April 29. 

 

Among 11 commodity groups, six saw price increases, including transportation (1.18 percent); housing, water and electricity supply, and construction materials (0.18 percent); household equipment and appliances (0.09 percent), culture, entertainment and tourism (0.08 percent), education (0.06 percent), medicines and medical services (0.02 percent). 

 

Lower prices were recorded in food and catering services (0.18 percent), posts and telecommunication (0.08 percent), other goods and services (0.02 percent); apparel, headwear and footwear (0.01 percent). Beverage and cigarette prices stayed the same. 

 

Do Thi Ngoc, Director of the GSO’s Price Statistics Department, attributed the CPI hike in April to higher domestic and exported rice prices, fuelled by higher demands from China and Southeast Asian countries. 

 

Petrol prices were also adjusted up, thus pushing CPI by 0.11 percent, she said, adding that flight and railway ticket prices moved up 0.76 percent and 2.55 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, prices of housing materials, electricity and water supply hiked a respective of 0.5 percent, 0.14 percent and 0.42 percent. 

 

Prices of poultry and aquatic products curbed CPI growth due to abundant supply. 

 

Gold prices moved up 0.47 percent month-on-month while USD prices were kept stable at around 22,790 VND. 

 

According to the GSO, basic inflation (CPI exclusive of foodstuff, fresh food, energy, health care and education services) in the first fourth months this year stood at 1.34 percent, reflecting that monetary policy remains stable.-VNA