XN000022-1992-11-26 — Page 7

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1992

COMPARING OCTOBER 1992 WITH OCTOBER 1991, RELATIVELY SLOWER INCREASES IN PRICES WERE RECORDED FOR DURABLE GOODS (1.9% IN BOTH CPI(A) AND CPI(B)); FOOD (EXCLUDING MEALS AT RESTAURANTS) (5.1% IN BOTH CPIS); TRANSPORT (6.1% IN THE CPI(A) AND 6.7% IN THE CPI(B)); FUEL AND LIGHT (6.2% AND 6.0%); AND MISCELLANEOUS GOODS (6.8% AND 6.5%).

ON THE OTHER HAND, RELATIVELY FASTER INCREASES IN PRICES WERE RECORDED FOR CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR (9.7% IN THE CPI(A) AND 9.8% IN THE CPI(B)); MEALS AT RESTAURANTS (10.2% IN BOTH CPI'S); SERVICES (12.3% IN THE CPI (A) AND 11.1% IN THE CPI (B)); ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO (13.0% AND 12.4%); AND HOUSING (15.1% AND 15.7%).

COMPARING OCTOBER 1992 WITH SEPTEMBER 1992, THE CPI(A) INCREASED BY 0.1% WHILE THE CPI(9) AND THE HANG SENG CPI INCREASED BY 0.4% AND 0.8% RESPECTIVELY. THIS COMPARISON WAS, HOWEVER, AFFECTED BY FEASONAL FACTORS.

THE INCREASES WERE MAINLY DUE TO HIGHER RENT FOR SOME PRIVATE HCUSING UNITS, HIGHER CHARGES FOR MEALS AT RESTAURANTS, AND A RISE IN THE PRICES OF CIGARETTES AND CHINESE NEWSPAPERS.

WAS, ON THE

FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDING OCTOBER 1992, THE CPI(A) AVERAGE, HIGHER BY 9.2% THAN IN THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR. CORRESPONDING FIGURE FOR THE CPI(B) WAS 9.8%.

FOR THE PERIOD FROM JANUARY TO OCTOBER 1992, THE CPI(A) AND THE CPI(B) WERE, ON AVERAGE, HIGHER BY 9.4% AND 9.6% RESPECTIVELY THAN IN THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD IN 1991.

FOR THE 12 MONTHS ENDING OCTOBER 1992, THE CPI (A) AND THE CPI(B) WERE, ON AVERAGE, HIGHER BY 9.6% AND 9.8% RESPECTIVELY THAN IN THE PRECEDING 12-MONTH PERIOD.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED SERIES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE FOR THE INDICES. THE DESEASONALISED CPI(A) AND CPI (B) INCREASED AT AN AVERAGE RATE OF 0.7% AND 0.8% RESPECTIVELY PER MONTH DURING THE THREE MONTHS ENDING OCTOBER 1992.

THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX REPORT

MORE DETAILS ARE GIVEN IN THE "CONSUMER PRICE INDEX REPORT" FOR OCTOBER 1992, WHICH IS AVAILABLE AT $9 PER COPY FROM THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS SALES CENTRE, GENERAL POST OFFICE BUILDING, GROUND FLOOR,

CONNAUGHT PLACE, HONG KONG; OR FROM THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT, 19TH FLOOR, WANCHAI TOWER 1, 12 HARBOUR ROAD, WAN CHAI, HONG KONG; OR FROM THE INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT, FRENCH MISSION BUILDING, 1 BATTERY PATH, HONG KONG FOR LOCAL AND OVERSEAS MAILINGS.

FOR ENQUIRIES ABOUT THE INDICES, PLEASE TELEPHONE THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX SECTION OF THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT 805 6403.

ON

DETAILS REGARDING THE HANG SENG CPI ARE CONTAINED IN THE HANG SENG CPI REPORT ISSUED BY THE ECONOMIC RESEARCH DEPARTMENT OF HANG SENG BANK LTD.

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