HA NOI — The Ministry of Finance's Price Management Department predicts the cost of some commodities and services will rise again next month.
The department said domestic increases would follow global price rises for commodities such as pig iron, fertiliser and medicine.
Prices would also be affected by seasonal storms in the centre and the south, the department said.
Next month will also see the start of the new school year, which will force up demand for public transport and a number of other services, which are also expected to go up in price. The coming National Day and mid-autumn festivals will also push up transport prices and the cost of tourism services and consumable goods.
The department said the price of rice would increase only slightly due to high demand for exports to offset losses due to natural disasters.
The price of pork, however, is expected to fall next month in the south, while the price of foodstuffs such as seafood, beef and poultry is expected to marginally rise.
Meanwhile, it is anticipated the price of cement will stabilise in the second half of next month.
The Consumer Price Index in August increased slightly by 0.23 per cent over July, the General Statistics Office announced this week.
Do Thi Ngoc, from the GSO, said the CPI had not been affected by the rise in the fuel price or the depreciation of the Vietnamese dong. However, she predicted the coming month's CPI would be impacted by these factors. — VNS
