It was also the highest surge in the past few months. The CPI in May decreased 0.44 per cent before it rose 0.08 per cent in April and 0.2 per cent in May. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Vu

HA NOI (Biz Hub) — The country's consumer price index (CPI) inched up 0.3 per cent in June as against May amid a petroleum and gas price hike, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO).

The petroleum price increased 0.15 per cent in June while the rising figure of gas was 1.43 per cent, the office reported.

Deputy Director of the GSO's CPI Department, Do Thi Ngoc, said that the index's rise in June was relatively high, when compared with the 0.05 per cent increase in June 2013 and the 0.26 per cent decline in June 2012.

It was also the highest surge in the past few months. The CPI in May decreased 0.44 per cent before it rose 0.08 per cent in April and 0.2 per cent in May, Ngoc said.

As many as 10 out of the 11 baskets of goods contributing to the calculation of the CPI data saw their prices increase this month. Prices of medicine and health-care reported the highest price hike of 0.74 per cent, in the wake of a sharp hike in health-care service fees in HCM City, from June 1.

According to a decision by the HCM City's People Committee, higher charges will be applied to 2,000 types of medical services, including check-ups, beds for in-patients and technical services as well as surgery costs, in the city's 378 public hospitals.

Prices of housing and construction material (including rent, electricity, water, fuel and construction materials) came second with a rise of 0.61 per cent.

In June, prices of food and foodstuff, which account for the largest slice of the CPI cake, increased by 0.28 per cent.

On the down side, prices of postal services and telecommunication baskets fell by 0.13 per cent this month.

Not included in the CPI components, gold prices in June dropped 0.12 per cent on month and lost 9.79 per cent on year while the US dollar prices this month gained 0.49 per cent on month and 0.57 per cent on year.

In the urban areas, this month's CPI edged up 0.3 per cent on month while the index rose 4.49 per cent on year in rural areas. — VNS