GSO projects 3% CPI growth rate for 2019
VGP – The consumption price index (CPI) saw a month-on-month increase of 0.32% in September and went up 2.5% in the first nine months. Average CPI growth rate was projected to fluctuate around 4% in 2019, the General Statistics Office (GSO) reported.
On the other hand, in the January-September period, petro prices were adjusted 18 times including six price increases, eight price reductions, and four times when the costs were stabilized. Accordingly, petro prices dropped 3.46% against the same period in 2018, serving to reduce CPI by 0.14%.
In September only, CPI saw a month-on-month increase of 0.32% and a year-on-year growth of 1.98%, up 2.2% against last December.
In the first nine months, CPI picked up 2.5% against the same period last year.
In Q3, CPI experienced a year-on-year growth of 2.23%.
In the ninth month, eight out of 11 groups of goods and services witnessed higher prices including education (up 3.15%), restaurants and food services (up 0.56%), goods and other services (up 0.25%), household utensils (up 0.13%), housing and building materials (up 0.12%), garments, textiles, hats, and footwear (up 0.09%), culture, entertainment, tourism (up 0.06%), beverage and tobacco (up 0.06%). Meanwhile, telecom costs were kept unchanged. Two groups saw price declines including transport (down 1.24%) and healthcare (down 0.01%).
Head of the Consumer Prices Department at the General Statistics Office Do Thi Ngoc assessed that the preset goal of under 4% CPI growth rate is feasible. There are wide doors for price adjustments such as heath care services./.
By Kim Anh