CPI hikes seen in biggest cities in the Tết month

Relatively sharp rises, from 2.28% to 4.24%, were seen in food and catering services; drinks and tobacco; housing, electricity, water supply, fuel and building materials; domestic utensils and appliances.

Medicines and health services; transport; culture-entertainment and tourism; education; garments and footwear; and other services have slightly increased in price at 0.03-1.97%.

Only the price of posts and telecommunications has gone down by 1.3% against the previous month.

In Hồ Chí Minh City, the CPI has leaped by 1.68% this month compared to January, according to the Municipal Statistic Office.

Local residents’ rocketing demands for amusement and entertainment during the Tết Festival led to the sharp increase of 3% in the price of culture-entertainment-tourism and 2.66% in food and catering services.

Slight increases were reported in the prices of domestic utensils and appliances (0.23%) and medicines and health services (0.21%).

The same fall of 1.30% was seen in the price of post and telecommunications service.

In February, the price of gold has dropped by 1.52% against the previous month in Hà Nội and 1.94% in Hồ Chí Minh City. The figures for US dollars were 0.22% and 0.28% in these two biggest cities respectively.