Hanoi (VNA) –Vietnam’s consumer price index (CPI) in January rose 0.1 percent over theprevious month and increased 2.56 percent year on year, according to theGeneral Statistics Office (GSO).

Do Thi Ngoc, head of the GSO’s PriceStatistics Department, explained that the CPI in January - the month before theLunar New Year (Tet) festival - only increased slightly thanks to the abundantsupply of goods for Tet.

Compared to the previous month, anupturn was seen in the prices of nine out of 11 groups of goods and services,leading by drinking and tobacco (0.69 percent), followed by food and cateringservices (0.66 percent); garment and textile, headgear and footwear (0.39percent); housing and construction materials (0.35 percent); other goods andservices (0.34 percent), and culture, entertainment and travel (0.33 percent).

Two groups enjoying a decrease inprices are transport (3.04 percent), and post and telecommunications (0.09percent).

Ngoc said that due to higherdemands, the prices of public transport and vehicle maintenance services grew0.3 percent and 0.61 percent over the previous month. Gas price were also up1.36 percent month on month.

One of the factors helping controlthe CPI in the month is the Government’s efforts to stabilise prices of goods,especially fuel with a drop of 0.29 percent.

At the same time, domestic goldprice climbed up 2.25 percent over the previous month, while that of US dollar hasbeen kept stable.-VNA