XN000022-1986-04-24 — Page 13

THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 1986

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NEW CONSUMER PRICE INDEXES INTRODUCED

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THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT TODAY (THURSDAY) PUBLISHED THE NEW 1984-85-BASED CONSUMER PRICE INDEXES AS WELL AS THE 1979-80-BASED SERIES FOR MARCH 1986.

THE NEW CPI(A) AND NEW CPI(B) (OCTOBER 84/SEPTEMBER 85 HAVE BEEN COMPILED SINCE OCTOBER 85 AND WILL BE RELEASED IN PARALLEL WITH THE 1979-80-BASED CPI(A) AND CPI(B) (OCTOBER 79/ SEPTEMBER 80 - 100) AS FROM THIS MONTH.

THE SERIES PUBLISHED SINCE 1980 WILL BE DISCONTINUED AFTER MARCH 1987.

THE NEW CPI(A) AND

100)

102.7 RESPECTIVELY ONDER (B) FOR MARCH 1986 WERE 102,4 AND

COMPARED WITH FEBRUARY 1986 AND BEARING IN MIND THAT THIS COMPARISON MAY BE AFFECTED BY SEASONAL FACTORS, NEW CPI(A) DECREASED BY 0.1 PER CENT AND NEW CPI(B) REMAINED UNCHANGED.

ON THE OTHER HAND, THE 1979-80-BASED CPI(A) AND CPI(B) FOR

REPRESENTING MARCH 1986 WERE 162.6 AND 163.7 RESPECTIVELY, INCREASES OF 2.1 PER CENT AND 2.8 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY OVER MARCH 1985.

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COMPARED WITH FEBRUARY 1986, CPI(A) DECREASED BY 0.2 PER CENT AND CPI(B) REMAINED UNCHANGED. THE AVERAGE CPI(A) AND AVERAGE CPI(B) FOR THE 12 MONTHS ENDED MARCH 1986, AT 160.8 AND 161.3 RESPECTIVELY, WERE 3.0 PER CENT AND 3.3 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY HIGHER THAN THE AVERAGE FOR THE 12 MONTHS ENDED MARCH 1985.

PRICE MOVEMENTS DESCRIBED BELOW ARE BASED ON THE NEW CPI

SERIES.

DURING THE THREE-MONTH PERIOD ENDED MARCH 1986, THE SEASONALLY ADJUSTED NEW CPI(A) INCREASED AT AN AVERAGE RATE OF 0.1 PER CENT PER MONTH AND THE SEASONALLY ADJUSTED NEW CPI(B), AT 0.2 PER CENT PER MONTH.

DURING MARCH, RETAIL PRICES OF LIVE POULTRY, FRESH-WATER FISH AND PORK AND CHARGES FOR HAIRDRESSING WERE LOWER. ON THE OTHER .. HAND, RETAIL PRICES OF FRESH VEGETABLES, CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR WERE HIGHER.

THE NEW CPI(A) AND NEW 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 1984-85 HOUSEHOLD EXPENDITURE SURVEY.

THE NEW CPI(A) REFERS TO HOUSEHOLDS SPENDING BETWEEN $2 000 AND $6 499 A MONTH AT THAT TIME, AND THE NEW CPI(B), BETWEEN $6 500 AND $9 999 A MONTH.

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