Macao's inflation rate, as measured by the composite CPI (consumer price index), fell by 3.95 percentage points month-on-month to 1.83 percent in February, according to the figures released on Friday by the city's Statistics and Census Service (DSEC).

The composite CPI stood at 124.88 in February, with the price indices of clothing and footwear as well as food and non-alcoholic beverages going up by 13.48 percent and 7.69 percent respectively year-on-year, the DSEC figures showed.

Among the subgroups of food and non-alcoholic beverages, notable increase was observed in the prices of rice (36.81 percent), canned meat (32.54 percent), edible oil (26.92 percent), fresh fish (19.19 percent) and fruit (15.29 percent) in the period.

Meanwhile, the price indices of transport, education and housing and fuels registered year-on-year decrease of 8.09 percent, 7.49 percent and 1.2 percent respectively, on account of falling gasoline and LP Gas prices, electricity subsidy by the government, as well as the increase of tuition subsidies to students studying in schools not included in the free education network, the DSEC said.

As for the first two months of 2009, the average Composite CPI went up by 3.78 percent year-on-year, and, for the 12 months ended February 2009, the average Composite CPI rose by 7.72 percent over the preceding period, according to the DSEC.

Source: Xinhua