Vietnam’s consumer price index (CPI) in the third quarter of this year expanded 3.32% as compared with the corresponding time last year, according to the General Statistics Office. The figure in the first nine months of this year was up 2.73%, while core inflation rose 1.88%. In September alone, the index went up 0.4% month-on-month, and 3.94% year-on-year, mainly due to increases in prices of essential goods and services as well as tuition fees in certain localities, according the General Statistics Office. The Office said that the average increase of petroleum prices of 41.07% in the nine months has resulted in a 1.48 percentage point rise in the CPI. Moreover, higher demand for catering services after the COVID-19 was brought under control and food price hikes also pushed up the index. To deal with the rising inflation pressure, the Government has instructed ministries, agencies and localities to issue many policies and roll out solutions concertedly, helping to ensure production and business stability./.