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FRIDAY, JULY 18, 1975
FOODSTUFFS COST MORE LAST MONTH
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THE AVERAGE RETAIL PRICE OF RICE DROPPED BY FOUR PER CENT LAST MONTH, BUT FRESH AND SALT WATER FISH, LIVE POULTRY AND FRESH VEGETABLES ALL COST MORE, ACCORDING TO THE NEW CONSUMER PRICE INDICES FOR JUNE.
AS A RESULT OF A FURTHER DROP IN SUPPLIES, THE AVERAGE RETAIL PRICE OF FRESH VEGETABLES ROSE BY A SUBSTANTIAL 35 PER CENT WHILE THAT OF LIVE POULTRY WENT UP BY 10 PER CENT, MAINLY BECAUSE OF HEAVY DEMAND DURING THE DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL. THE AVERAGE RETAIL PRICE OF SALT WATER FISH ROSE BY 13 AND 14 PER · CENT, AND THAT OF FRESH WATER FISH BY SIX AND SEVEN PER CENT DUE TO SHORT SUPPLY.
THE INCREASES PUSHED UP THE INDEX FOR FOODSTUFFS BY THREE POINTS IN BOTH THE 'A' AND 'B' NEW CONSUMER PRICE INDICES, WHICH COVER HOUSEHOLDS WITH A MONTHLY EXPENDITURE OF $400-$1,499 AND $1,500-$2,999, RESPECTIVELY.
OVERALL, THE 'A' INDEX ROSE BY TWO POINTS TO 109, WHILE THE 'B' INDEX STOOD AT 108 - ONE POINT HIGHER THAN IN MAY.
IN BOTH INDICES, THE INDEX FOR HOUSING WENT UP BY ONE POINT AS A RESULT OF RENT INCREASES IN PRIVATE POST-WAR DWELLINGS.
AN INCREASE OF ONE POINT IN THE INDEX FOR FUEL AND LIGHT WAS ALSO RECORDED IN THE 'A' INDEX FOR THE $400-$1,499 EXPENDITURE GROUP.
OTHER MOVEMENTS IN THE INDICES WERE INSIGNIFICANT. BY COMPARISON, THE OLD GENERAL CONSUMER PRICE INDEX FOR JUNE WAS 196, EIGHT POINTS HIGHER THAN THAT FOR MAY.
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