The Consumer Index (CPI) in October gained 0.41 percent over September and 2.98 percent year-on-year. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi(VNA) – The Consumer Price Index (CPI) in October gained 0.41 percent over Septemberand 2.98 percent year-on-year, largely driven by impacts of storms and historicfloods in northern and central Vietnam earlier this month.
According to theGeneral Statistics Office (GSO), price hikes were seen in all 11 main goods andservice groups with the highest growth of 2.14 percent reported in medicinesand healthcare. It was followed by fuels (1.44 percent), housing andconstruction materials (0.63 percent), transportation (0.61 percent), food andcatering services (0.31 percent), and education (0.19 percent).
Excessive demand forfoods, particularly in big cities, during the current wedding season was behindthe surge besides the impacts of the disaster, said Do Thi Ngoc, Director ofthe GSO’s Price Statistics Department.
In addition, theMinistry of Health had issued a circular saying that people without healthinsurance or insured citizens who have opted for out-of-pocket payment wouldhave to pay the full, non-subsidized cost of treatment, starting from June thisyear.
The decision, slatedto come into effect in HCM City and other 14 provinces from October, coupledwith increase in service prices at private clinics in the Central Highlandsprovinces of Kon Tum and Gia Lai triggered a 2.79 percent price rise inhealthcare.
Total average CPIfor the first 10 months of 2017 has posted a year-on-year increase of 3.71percent.
Core inflation thatis the CPI excluding foods andbeverages, energy and State-controlled services like healthcare and education, in October rose by 0.06 percent from the last month, and1.32 percent year-on-year.
Theaverage core inflation in the first 10 months was estimated at 1.44 percent,lower than the previous forecast of 1.6 – 1.8 percent indicating theeffectiveness of the current monetary policy.-VNA
VNA
