Southern hub’s consumer index continue to fall

The consumer price index (CPI) in Ho Chi Minh City fell by 0.42 percent in December, making it the third consecutive month with minus figure growth rate, reported the municipal Statistics Department head.

Du Quang Nam said as compared with last year, the city’s CPI growth rate reached 18.08 percent or some 1.38 percent a month on average against 1.15 percent in 2007.

Post and telecommunications charges made the sharpest fall at 6.96 percent while the entertainments and tourism sector recorded the highest rise in prices at 2.79 percent.

Despite a 0.94 percent fall in fuel prices, food and drinks prices continued rising at 0.35 and 0.76 percent, respectively, directly affecting the people’s daily life and largely blamed for the weakening purchase power.

Gold prices dropped by 0.6 percent while US dollar value rose 1.68 percent against Vietnamese dong.

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