Food grains prices drop in HCM City, Hanoi

HCM City (VNA) - The prices of food grains have dropped in the two major cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in August as it isharvesting time in the country.

Food is 1.94 percent cheaper from July in Ho Chi Minh City while Hanoisees a smaller decrease at 0.25 percent.

However, a 30-percent rise in petrol price during the month still pushed up the consumer price index in both cities, with the CPI in Hanoi up by 1.92percent from July and HCM City - 2.09 percent.

The effect from petrol price hike was most clear in the transport services, with Ho Chi Minh City residents having to pay 8.16 percent more for theservices than last month.

Other sectors attributing to the CPI rise in HCM City were housing, electricity and water, and fuel (2.43 percent), medicines and healthcareservices (2.05 percent), and restaurant services (1.49 percent).

However, these increases are offseted by strong drops in the prices of gold and US dollars, which were calculated at 2.79 percent and 3.87 percent respectively in Ho Chi Minh City and 2.86 percent and 5.28 percent inHanoi .

The two cities continue to keep a close check on the market to prevent irrational price hikes.-