Focus Taiwan
Date: 05/06/2020
By: Pan Tzu-yu and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, May 6 (CNA) Taiwan's consumer price index (CPI) in April fell from a year earlier for the third consecutive month amid concerns over the COVID-19 coronavirus, largely due to falling transportation and fuel prices, according to government statistics released Wednesday.

The CPI for April fell 0.97 percent from a year earlier following an 8.56 percent drop in transportation and communications costs and a 35.5 percent plunge in fuel prices caused by plummeting international crude prices, according to the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS).

Education and entertainment costs were also down 1.8 percent from a year earlier in April, as hotel operators cut prices by 15.44 percent and travel agencies slashed the price of domestic tours by 4.6 percent to attract consumers amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the DGBAS added.

Bucking the downturn, food prices rose 1.27 percent from a year earlier in April, with the price of fruit up 14.18 percent, but with the cost of eggs and vegetables dropping 13.63 percent and 7.32 percent, respectively, to offset soaring food prices, according to the DGBAS.
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