The GSO said on October 29 that compared to September, price hikes were recorded in transport (1.55 percent); education (0.58 percent); housing and building materials (0.31 percent); food and eating-drinking services (0.22 percent); garment, headwear and footwear (0.15 percent); household appliances and goods (0.11 percent); culture, entertainment and tourism (0.09 percent); beverage and cigarette (0.03 percent); medicine and healthcare services (0.02 percent); and other goods and services (0.09 percent).

Meanwhile, prices in postal services and telecommunications declined 0.04 percent.

This month’s CPI grew 3.89 percent year on year and 3.54 percent from last December. On average, the 10-month figure rose by 3.6 percent from the same period of 2017.

Director of the GSO’s Price Statistics Department Do Thi Ngoc said the causes for the CPI expansion include higher prices of pork, petrol and gas. School fees also increased as scheduled in some localities.

Meanwhile, lower prices of certain goods have curbed further rise in the CPI, she noted, elaborating that abundant supplies have led to a price drop in some agricultural products like fresh poultry meat, egg, citrus fruits and banana. Notably, dragon fruit prices have plunged 30 – 50 percent from September.

In October, domestic gold prices fluctuated in accordance with the global market, climbing 0.12 percent month on month to around 36.6 million VND per SJC tael.

The USD/VND exchange rate continued to increase slightly after the US Federal Reserve raised the benchmark interest rate from 2 percent to 2.25 percent since September 27.

Thanks to the State Bank of Vietnam’s setting of the daily reference exchange rate in comparison to eight key currencies as well as abundant forex reserves, the USD prices have been kept stable, about 22,719 VND per USD in the market, the GSO said.

It added that the core inflation, which is CPI excluding food items, energy products and State-managed commodities (healthcare and educational services), inched up 0.13 percent month on month and 1.67 percent year on year. It expanded 1.43 percent in the 10 months, compared to the same period of 2017.