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THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 1976.
CONSUMER PRICE INDEX FOR DECEMBER 1975
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THE NEW CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (A) FOR DECEMBER 1975 WAS 108, THE SAME AS THAT FOR THE PREVIOUS MONTH.
THE INDEX FOR FOODSTUFFS FOR THE MONTH FELL BY TWO POINTS. THE AVERAGE RETAIL PRICE OF FRESH VEGETABLES DECLINED WHILE THAT OF FRESH WATER FISH ADVANCED.
ON THE OTHER HAND, THE INDEX FOR ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO ROSE BY SIX POINTS MAINLY BECAUSE OF HEAVIER DUTIES IMPOSED.
THE INDEX FOR TRANSPORT AND VEHICLES INCREASED BY TWO POINTS AS A RESULT OF UPWARD REVISION IN THE FARES CHARGED BY THE HONG KONG TRAMWAYS, THE STAR FERRY AND THE PEAK TRAMWAYS.
AT THE SAME TIME, AS THE RENTS OF PRIVATE POST-WAR BUILDINGS INCREASED SLIGHTLY, THE INDEX FOR HOUSING ROSE BY ONE POINT.
AN INCREASE OF ONE POINT EACH WAS ALSO RECORDED IN THE INDEX FOR FUEL AND LIGHT AND MISCELLANEOUS' GOODS BECAUSE OF HIGHER PRICES FOR KEROSENE, LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS AND MEDICINES.
THE NEW CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (B) FOR DECEMBER STOOD AT 108, ONE POINT LOWER THAN THAT FOR THE PREVIOUS MONTH.
A DROP OF ONE POINT WAS RECORDED IN THE INDEX FOR FOODSTUFFS BECAUSE OF LOWER PRICES FOR FRESH VEGETABLES.
FOR REASONS SIMILAR TO THAT FOR INDEX (A), THE INDEX FOR ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TABACCO ROSE BY FIVE POINTS AND THE INDEX FOR TRANSPORT AND VEHICLES ADVANCED BY TWO POINTS. THE INDEX FOR FUEL AND LIGHT AND MISCELLANEOUS GOODS ROSE BY ONE POINT EACH.
MOVEMENTS IN THE INDEXES FOR OTHER SECTIONS OF COMMODITY AND SERVICE WERE INSIGNIFICANT.
THE NEW CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (A) IS BASED ON WEIGHTS DERIVED FROM THE EXPENDITURE OF HOUSEHOLDS SPENDING BETWEEN $400 $1,499 A MONTH WHILE INDEX (B) COVERS HOUSEHOLDS SPENDING $1,500
$2,999.
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