XN000022-1995-07-21 — Page 2

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Consumer Price Indices for June 1995

The year-on-year rate of increase in the Consumer Price Index (A) moderated further to 8.9% in June 1995, from 9.1% in May.

This is shown in the latest Consumer Price Indices released today (Friday) by the Census and Statistics Department.

The rate of increase in the Consumer Price Index (B) and the Hang Seng CPI, at 9.6% and 9.7% respectively in June, was slightly faster than their corresponding increase of 9.5% in May.

The Composite CPI, which is compiled based on the combined expenditure pattern of all households, also showed a slightly faster increase of 9.4% in June, against 9.3% in May.

Commenting on the June figures on the CPI(A), a Government spokesman said faster price increases than in May were recorded for clothing and footwear, alcoholic drinks and transport. But these were more than offset by slower increase in the prices of foodstuffs, particularly the prices of vegetables in which there was actually a fall from a year earlier. A slight moderation in the overall increase in the CPI(A) thus resulted.

The spokesman also noted that, given the difference in weightings, the moderating effect from the lower prices of vegetables had a greater impact on the CPI(A) than on the other CPIs, while the boosting effect from the faster increase in prices of clothing and footwear affected the other CPIs more than the CPI(A).

Comparing June 1995 with June 1994, relatively faster price increases than the overall average were recorded for housing (12.6% in the CPI(A), 14.1% in the CPI(B) and 13.3% in the Composite CPI); miscellaneous services (11.6%, 11.0% and 10.7%); and clothing and footwear (10.6%, 11.1% and 10.8%).

Relatively slower price increases than the overall average were recorded for durable goods (4.3% in the CPI(A), 4.1% in the CPI(B) and 4.2% in the Composite CPI); food (excluding meals bought away from home) (6.5%, 6.8% and 6.7%); alcoholic drinks and tobacco (6.9%, 6.4% and 6.7%); meals bought away from home (7.3%, 7.1% and 7.3%); transport (7.7%, 7.9% and 7.6%); miscellaneous goods (8.2%, 7.0% and 7.4%); and fuel and light (8.7%, 9.0% and 8.6%).