XN000022-1981-05-29 — Page 3

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FRIDAY, MAY 29, 1981

ON THE OTHER HAND, THE AVERAGE RETAIL PRICES OF FRESH-WATER FISH, RICE AND MEALS BOUGHT IN RESTAURANTS INCREASED.

THE EFFECTS OF MOVEMENTS IN THE RETAIL PRICES OF OTHER FOOD ITEMS ON THE INDEX FOR THE FOODSTUFFS COMPONENT WERE INSIGNIFICANT.

THE INDEX FOR THE HOUSING COMPONENT IN BOTH NEW CPI (A) AND NEW CPI (B) INCREASED BY 3 POINTS AS HIGHER RENT WAS REGISTERED IN PRIVATE DWELLINGS AND IN SOME HOUSING SOCIETY AND HOUSING AUTHORITY GROUP A ESTATES.

THE INDEX FOR THE CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR COMPONENT IN NEW CPI (A) DECREASED BY 2 POINTS AND THAT IN NEW CPI (B) BY 3 POINTS BECAUSE OF LOWER PRICES FOR OUTERCLOTHING ITEMS.

THE TWO-POINT INCREASE IN THE INDEX FOR THE DURABLE GOODS COMPONENT IN BOTH NEW CPI (A) AND NEW CPI (B) WAS ATTRIBUTABLE TO HIGHER PRICES FOR ELECTRICAL CONSUMER GOODS, TELEVISION AND SOUND EQUIPMENT.

KIGHER PRICES FOR JEWELLERY, TOYS AND HOBBIES CAUSED THE INDEX FOR THE MISCELLANEOUS GOODS COMPONENT IN BOTH NEW CPI (A) AND NEW CPI (B) TO INCREASE BY 1 POINT.

THE INDEX FOR THE TRANSPORT AND VEHICLES COMPONENT IN NEW CIP (A) INCREASED BY 8 POINTS AND THAT IN NEW CPI (B) BY 6 POINTS AS A RESULT OF THE UPWARD REVISION OF BUS FARES DURING THE MONTH.

THE INDEX FOR THE SERVICES COMPONENT IN BOTH NEW CPI (A) AND NEW CPI (B) INCREASED BY 1 POINT DUE TO HIGHER CHARGES FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT, HOUSEHOLD SERVICES AND HAIRDRESSING.

PRICE MOVEMENTS IN OTHER COMMODITY SECTIONS WERE INSIGNIFICANT.

THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (A) AND THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (B) (JULY 73/JUNE 74-100) FOR APRIL 1981 WERE 179 AND 178 RESPECTIVELY, EACH BEING 1 POINT OR 0.6 PER CENT HIGHER THAN FOR THE PREVIOUS MONTH. COMPARED WITH THE CORRESPONDING MONTH IN 1980, CPI (A) INCREASED BY 23 POINTS OR 14.7 PER CENT AND CPI (B) BY 22 POINTS OR 14.1 PER CENT.

DETAILS OF THESE PRICE MOVEMENTS ARE GIVEN IN THE +CONSUMER PRICE INDEX REPORT FOR APRIL 1981, NOW ON SALE AT $2 EACH AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE, GENERAL POST OFFICE BUILDING, GROUND FLOOR, CONNAUGHT PLACE.

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