XN000022-1973-01-18 — Page 5

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Thursday, January 18, 1973

CONSUMER PRICE INDEX FOR LAST MONTH

Increase In Index For Food Shown

The General Consumer Price Index (Sept. 63/Aug. 64 = 100) for

December 1972 was 143, the same as that for the previous month.

There was a decrease of two points in the index for food.

On the other hand, an increase of two points was recorded in the

index for durable goods while increases of one point each were recorded in

the index for alcoholic drink and tobacco and the index for miscellaneous goods.

Movements in the indexes for other sections of commodity and service

were insignificant.

Compared with the previous month, the average retail prices of

fresh vegetables and fresh water fish dropped.

On the other hand, there were increases in the average retail prices

of rice, salt water fish, beef, pork, dried sea products, poultry and eggs,

For non-food items, the higher prices for furniture caused the index

for durable goods to move upwards.

The revision of the prices of some cigarettes also pushed the index

for alcoholic drink and tobacco up.

The Modified Consumer Price Index for December 1972 was 147, the

same as that for the previous month, and 13 points higher than that for the

corresponding month in 1971.

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