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Consumer prices rising slightly
Unlike previously, when the prices of all goods and services increased sharply every time the petrol price was adjusted, the petrol price hike earlier this month has only made food prices increase slightly.
The prices of some foods and vegetables in some retail markets in Hanoi have been found as increasing slightly in recent days.
Hang, a petty merchant at Hom-Duc Vien Market, said that seafood products have seen prices increase by 5,000-10,000 dong per kilo. Currently, a kilo of cuttlefish is selling at 75-110,000 dong, while dieu hong (a kind of fish) is selling at 65,000 dong per kilo.
Hang said that seafood products have increased in price because the products are carried to Hanoi from the south, and have naturally been affected by higher transportation costs due to the petrol price hike.
Meanwhile, management boards of some markets in Hanoi have reported that the prices of some kinds of food and vegetables have also increased by 5-10 percent. The best quality pork is now selling at 70,000 dong per kilo, while lean and fat meat mixed at 55,000 dong per kilo, and beef is selling at 130,000 dong per kilo.
At Dong Tam Market, the vegetable price has risen by 500 dong per kilo, rau muong is selling at 8,000 dong a bunch, while cabbage at 8,000 dong per kilo. The sellers here said that wholesalers have raised sale prices, saying that they have to pay more for transport.
Meanwhile, price increases have only been rarely seen at big supermarkets in Hanoi like Big C, Hapro Mart or Fivimart thanks to stable supplies. At Hapro Mart, food prices (meat, fish and seafood) have been kept stable, while the prices of imported confections have risen by 2-10 percent, and vegetable oil has increased by five percent.
Nguyen Thi Lan Huong, Head of the Market Development and Marketing Division of Hapro Mart, said that the prices of some kinds of imported candies and cookies have increased because of exchange rate increases. As for vegetable oil, some producers, including Neptune and Marvela, have raised sale prices.
Nguyen Thai Dung, Deputy General Director of Big C Supermarket, said that the transport cost just accounts for 10 percent of the production cost, which means that the petrol price hike has made goods more expensive by 0.1-0.5 percent, which is inconsiderable.
“We have not received any notice from producers on sale price increases, therefore, we have not raised the prices of any products,” Dung said.
He went on to say that even if suppliers ask for price increases, Big C will still have to think carefully before deciding to raise prices.
Dung has confirmed that sharp price increases will not occur in the last months of the year, though the demand for consumer products will increase in that time.
“The price increases of every product will be considered thoroughly,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ho Quoc Khanh, Senior Official of the Hanoi industry and Trade Department, affirmed that enterprises anticipated the petrol price increase and well prepared for this.
vietnamnet, tp
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