WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1981
AUGUST CONSUMER PRICES UP TWO POINTS
****
THE NEW CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (A) AND THE NEW CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (B) FOR AUGUST 1981 WERE 121 AND 120 RESPECTIVELY, EACH BEING TWO POINTS OR 1.7 PER CENT HIGHER THAN THOSE FOR THE PRECEDING MONTH, ACCORDING TO FIGURES RELEASED TODAY BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.
SINCE THE NEW CONSUMER PRICE INDEXES WERE FIRST INTRODUCED IN OCTOBER 1980, THEY HAVE INCREASED IN THE TEN-MONTH PERIOD FROM OCTOBER 1980 TO AUGUST 1981 BY 14.2 PER CENT AND 13.2 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY, THE DEPARTMENT REPORTS,
COMMENTING ON THE FIGURES, A SPOKESMAN FROM THE GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT SAID THAT THE INCREASES DURING THE TEN MONTHS GAVE ANNUALISED RATES OF INCREASE OF 17.3 PER CENT FOR THE NEW CPI(A) AND 16.0 PER CENT FOR THE NEW CPI(B). HE SAID THAT BECAUSE CONSUMER PRICES INVARIABLY INCREASED FASTER IN THE SUMMER MONTH, THE FULL YEAR'S FIGURES WERE UNLIKELY TO BE AS HIGH AS THESE ANNUAL ISED RATES.
THE NEW CPI(A) AND CPI(B) ARE BASED ON THE EXPENDITURE PATTERNS OF 50 PER CENT AND 30 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY, OF URBAN HOUSEHOLDS IN HONG KONG, WHICH WERE DERIVED FROM THE 1979-80 HOUSEHOLD EXPENDITURE SURVEY. AT THAT TIME, THE NEW CPI(A) REFERRED TO HOUSEHOLDS SPENDING BETWEEN $1 000 AND $3 499 A MONTH AND THE NEW CPI(B) TO HOUSEHOLDS SPENDING BETWEEN $3 500 AND $6 499 A MONTH.
THE INDEXES FOR AUGUST 1981 IN RESPECT OF THE NINE SECTIONS OF HOUSEHOLD EXPENDITURE DISTINGUISHED IN THE TWO NEW CONSUMER PRICE INDEXES ARE GIVEN BELOW, TOGETHER WITH THOSE FOR JULY 1981.
(OCTOBER 1979 NEW CPI(A)
SEPTEMBER 1980 - 100)
NEW CPI(B)
SECTION
AUGUST 81 JULY 81
AUGUST 81 JULY 81
FOODSTUFFS
125
122
125
122
HOUSING
116
116
116
116
FUEL AND LIGHT
137
136
138
138
ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO
112
112
112
112
(FOR HOME CONSUMPTION)
CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR
113
115
112
115
DURABLE GOODS
108
108
109
109
MISCELLANEOUS GOODS
109
109
109
108
TRANSPORT AND VEHICLES
132
130
129
127
SERVICES
117
116
117
116
ALL ITEMS
121
119
120
118
THE INDEX FOR FOODSTUFFS INCREASED BY THREE POINTS IN BOTH THE NEW CPI(A) AND CPI(B).
THE ADVERSE WEATHER AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MONTH CAUSED THE AVERAGE RETAIL PRICE OF FRESH VEGETABLES TO INCREASE SUBSTANTIALLY. THE AVERAGE PRICE OF MEALS BOUGHT IN RESTAURANTS ALSO WENT UP.
/ON THE