THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1979
HIGHER COST OF LIVING IN SEPTEMBER
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THE CONSUMER PRICE INDICES (A) AND (B) FOR SEPTEMBER 1979 WERE BOTH 145, UP ONE POINT AND TWO POINTS RESPECTIVELY WHEN COMPARED WITH THOSE RECORDED IN THE PREVIOUS MONTH.
THE CENTRED 12-MONTH MOVING AVERAGE FOR MARCH 1979 WAS 133.8 FOR CPI (A) AND 133.9 FOR CPI (B), EACH BEING 1.1 PER CENT HIGHER THAN THAT FOR THE PREVIOUS MONTH. WHEN COMPARED WITH THE CENTRED 12-MONTH MOVING AVERAGE FOR MARCH A YEAR AGO, THE INCREASES WERE RESPECTIVELY 9.7 PER CENT AND 9.5 PER CENT.
THE CPI (A) IS BASED ON WEIGHTS DERIVED FROM THE EXPENDITURE OF HOUSEHOLDS SPENDING BETWEEN $400 AND $1 499 A MONTH AND THE CPI (B), BETWEEN $1 500 AND $2 999 A MONTH IN THE HOUSEHOLD EXPENDITURE SURVEY, 1973/74.
THE INDEX FOR FOODSTUFFS IN SEPTEMBER REMAINED STABLE IN CPI (A) AND ROSE BY ONE POINT IN CPI (B).
RISES WERE RECORDED IN THE AVERAGE RETAIL PRICES OF FRESH FRUITS, RICE AND LIVE POULTRY.
THE COSTS OF MEALS BOUGHT AWAY FROM HOME ALSO WENT UP AS SOME RESTAURANTS AND EATING PLACES RAISED THEIR PRICES.
ON THE OTHER HAND, THE AVERAGE RETAIL PRICES OF FRESH VEGETABLES, SALT-WATER FISH AND FRESH-WATER FISH DECLINED, MOVEMENTS IN THE RETAIL PRICES OF OTHER FOOD ITEMS WERE
INSIGNIFICANT.
THE INDEX FOR HOUSING INCREASED BY TWO POINTS IN CPI (A) AND BY THREE POINTS IN CPI (B) AS HIGHER RENT WAS REGISTERED IN PRIVATE DWELLINGS.
HIGHER CHARGES FOR ELECTRICITY PUSHED THE INDEX FOR FUEL AND LIGHT UP BY TWO POINTS IN CPI (A) AND BY THREE POINTS IN CPI (B).
THE INDEX FOR ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO ADVANCED BY SIX POINTS IN BOTH CPI (A) AND (B), REFLECTING THE FULL IMPACT OF THE RISES IN PRICES OF CIGARETTES AND TOBACCO SINCE AUGUST.
THE ONE-POINT RISE IN THE INDEX FOR CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR
IN BOTH CPI (A) AND (B) WAS ATTRIBUTABLE TO HIGHER PRICES FOR WOMEN'S OUTERCLOTHING ITEMS AND CLOTHING MATERIALS.
THE INDEX FOR DURABLE GOODS WENT UP BY ONE POINT EACH
IN CPI (A) AND (B) BECAUSE OF HIGHER PRICES FOR WOODEN FURNITURE AND GLASSWARE.
THE SECTION INDICES FOR SEPTEMBER 1979, COMPARED WITH PREVIOUS MONTH AND THE CORRESPONDING MONTH IN 1978, ARE GIVEN BELOW-
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