10:10:25 AM | 26/2/2010
Consumer price index of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, two biggest cities in Vietnam, in February is estimated to have risen 1.68% and 2.61%, respectively, from January, driven by higher costs of foodstuffs and services during the Tet holiday.
Hanoi saw the index rising 9.69% from a year earlier while Ho Chi Minh City witnessed an on-year rise of 9.45%.
The Hanoi Statistics Office was quoted by the agency as saying that soaring demand for essential goods such as chicken, beef, fish, beer, fruit and vegetables over Tet last week pushed prices up sharply in the city.
Restaurant prices rose by between 2.28% and 4.24% on-month on average in Hanoi, as did the price of alcohol and tobacco, fuel, building materials and household appliances. The prices of gold and U.S. dollar fell 1.52% and 0.22%, respectively.
In HCM City, the municipal Statistics Office estimated that the price of foods rose by 4.87% in the run-up to Tet while that of household plants were up 3.23%.
Pork cost 2.41% more than normal, the price of fresh seafood rose 2.39%, while confectionery goods rose by 0.68%. The cost of cultural and tourism services rose by 3% in February.
Telecommunications, gold and the U.S. dollar in HCM City saw declines of 1.3%, 1.94% and 0.28%, respectively, this month against January.
The State Bank of Vietnam, the country’s central bank, has not yet announced the base interest rate for March. (VNA)
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