National CPI up 1.25 percent in January
(VOV) - The consumer price index (CPI) in January rose 1.25 percent in January against the previous month, in line with expert expectations.
The figure is slightly lower than the 1.74 percent rise recorded in January 2011 and 1.36 percent in January 2010, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO).
Notably, prices of 10 out of the 11 groups of commodities used to calculate the CPI increased considerably, with tobacco and medical services taking the lead. Only post and telecommunications services fell by 0.05 percent.
Nguyen Duc Thang, a GSO official, said a 9.5 percent rise in hospital fees and medical services was the main cause for the CPI increase in January.
Meanwhile, food and foodstuff prices which were predicted to go up sharply before the traditional lunar New Year (Tet) holiday only inched up 1.34 percent.
However, Thang forecast that chicken will be in short supply in the coming months at a time when Vietnamese people celebrate the Tet holiday.
Last year farmers refused to develop new flocks due to high prices of feed and the low cost of imported chicken.
Following a recent crackdown on illegal imports of discarded chicken, scarcity of chicken on the market has driven up the prices of poultry products.
The GSO suggested that businesses and localities need to stockpile necessities to meet consumer demand for commodities during the Tet holiday and nip any price hikes in the bud.
The Tet holiday will fall on February 10 this year.