Consumer price indices in the country’s two largest cities have hit a five-month high in July, driven by last month’s petrol price hike, General Statistics figures show.

July’s CPIs in Hanoi rose 0.22 percent over June and in Ho Chi Minh City , 0.17 percent.
In the capital, prices of all 11 CPI goods increased, of which transport costs rose the most (more than 1 percent).

The General Statistics Office said July’s transport price rise followed a decision to allow petrol prices to go up 420-430 VND per litre and diesel, 220 VND on June 16.

Another rise of 420-470 VND per litre of gasoline, diesel and kerosene made on July 17 will impact the prices in following months, the office noted, estimating that the petrol price hike could add 0.15 percent to August’s CPI .

July’s prices of housing, power, fuel and construction materials in Hanoi saw a rise of 0.66 percent against last month in the wake of the petrol price hike.

With this month’s rise, the capital’s CPI was up 5.97 percent against the same period last year.

In HCM City , July’s 0.17 percent hike caused the city’s CPI to increase 0.96 percent against December last year and 3.54 percent over the same period last year.

Transport in HCM City saw the highest rise of 1.3 percent. Items of food restaurant, culture entertainment, garment-textiles, hats, and footwear also crept up between 0.1 percent and 0.4 percent.

Not included in the CPI , gold prices in July recorded falls of roughly 6.6 percent month on month or 14.1 percent year-on year.

In contrast, the US dollar rose by 0.63-0.79 percent month on month and 1.08 percent year-on-year in July.-VNA