Inflation hit 17-month high last month - Taipei Times

FORECAST:

Inflation is expected to ease slightly this month as international oil prices decline and the impact of the Dragon Boat Festival holiday fades, an official said

By Crystal Hsu / Staff reporter

Consumer prices rose to a 17-month high last month, as higher costs of fuel and airfares, as well as weather-related food disruptions, lifted inflation, although the government said overall price pressures remained moderate with no signs of imported inflation.The consumer price index (CPI) rose 2.6 percent from a year earlier, the fastest since January last year, the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS, 主計總處) said yesterday.The statistics agency attributed the increase mainly to a 19.45 percent jump in fuel prices, a 13.49 percent rise in international airfares, and higher costs for computers, dining out and housing.

People buy vegetables at a supermarket in Taipei’s Xinyi District yesterday.