HÀ NỘI – Hà Nội’s consumer price index (CPI) in August marginally dropped 0.17 per cent from the previous month, the city’s statistics office reported yesterday.

A downturn was seen in three groups of goods, while a marginal rise was recorded in the remaining eight groups, the office said, adding that the largest price rise was in education as the new school year was approaching.

Meanwhile, transportation prices fell sharpest as fuel prices were cut twice in the month, while the prices of food and catering services also fell sharply due to a plunge in food and foodstuff prices, especially rice in Hà Nội during the month, when supply was abundant.

The prices of housing, power, water and fuel, besides construction materials also dropped.

In August, the gold price climbed 1.6 per cent month-on-month and 19.8 per cent compared with December last year, while the American dollar rate fell slightly over the previous month and by 0.7 per cent over December 2015.

Meanwhile, the domestic goods sales and services revenue was estimated at VNĐ176.28 trillion (US$8 billion), a rise of 1.5 per cent month–on-month and 9.9 per cent year-on-year.

In August, Hà Nội earned $893 million from exports, a 0.3 per cent month-on–month increase, but an 1.8 per cent drop compared with the same period last year.

The prices of several exports rose, such as machinery and spare parts by 16 per cent; computers and peripheral devices by 2.9 per cent; and footwear and leather products by 7.5 per cent.

In the first eight months of this year, the capital’s total export value was worth more than $7 billion, a drop of 1.4 per cent compared with the same period last year.

Hà Nội imported more than $2.1-billion worth of commodities in August, up seven per cent month-on–month, but down 8.4 per cent year-on-year.

In the January-August period, Hà Nội imported goods worth $15.7 billion, a year-on-year decrease of 5.2 per cent. Some imported goods saw sharp falls, such as petrol by 27.5 per cent; fertilisers by 19.1 per cent; and chemicals by 21.6 per cent. – VNS