Taiwan consumer prices rise for 2nd straight month in December

Focus Taiwan
Date: 01/07/2021
By: Yang Shu-ching and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, Jan. 7 (CNA) Taiwan's consumer price index (CPI) rose 0.06 percent in December from a year earlier, marking the second consecutive month of year-on-year growth, the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) reported Thursday.

DGBAS official Tsao Chih-hung (曹志弘) said that the 0.06 percent rise can be partially attributed to increases in the price of meat, vegetables, plane tickets and the cost of personal items, although the growth was somewhat offset by falls in the price of fruit, oil, fuel and hotel prices.

On a month-on-month basis, the CPI rose 0.03 percent and after seasonal adjustments also grew 0.17 percent due to the rise in oil and fruit prices, which were offset to some extent by a fall in clothing and vegetable prices, the agency said.

For 2020 as a whole, the CPI fell 0.23 percent from a year earlier to its lowest level in five years.    [FULL  STORY]