Inflation up 3.81 percent

Macau’s composite Consumer Price Index (CPI), a main gauge of inflation, rose 3.81 percent year-on- year in January, up from 3.73 percent growth in the previous month, the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) announced yesterday.
The increase was mainly attributed to the soaring price of vegetables, rising costs of eating out and the increasing price of rent for residences and parking spaces.
According to DSEC, a notable increase was observed in the price index of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco products, which jumped 39.11 percent when compared with a year ago.
The bureau also mentioned that higher tuition fees, rising wages of domestic helpers and increasing rental costs for parking spaces drove up the price indexes of Education, Household Goods & Furnishings, and Transport by 8.91 percent, 5.96 percent and 5.95 percent respectively.
Meanwhile, a decrease was reported in the price indexes of Clothing & Footwear (-2.23 percent) and Communication (-1.26 percent).
The region’s CPI rose slightly in January by 0.04 percentage points on a monthly basis, on account of rising prices of tobacco, higher charges for in-patient services and eating out, as well as increasing prices of vegetables due to the extreme cold weather, DSEC data indicated.
On the other hand, seasonal sales of winter clothing and lower prices of package tours pushed down the price index of Clothing & Footwear and Recreation & Culture by 2.08 percent and 1.8 percent respectively. MDT/Xinhua