Hong Kong's consumer price inflation eased for a second straight month in April, figures from the Census and Statistics Department showed Monday.
The consumer price index rose 2.7 percent year-on-year following 2.9 percent climb in March. In February, inflation was 3 percent. The latest inflation rate was the lowest since January, when it was 2.5 percent.
Excluding the effects of the government's one-off relief measures, core inflation slowed to 2.3 percent from 2.8 percent in March. The figure was the lowest since December, when it was at the same level.
A government spokesman attributed the easing in the underlying inflation partly to the slower year-on-year increases in private housing rentals and food prices. An year-on-year decrease in the charges for package tours, partly reflecting the difference in timing of the Easter holidays between this year and last year, also contributed to the lower core inflation figure.
"Looking ahead, upside risks to inflation should remain contained in the near term, given the soft import prices amid subdued global inflation, retreat in local rental inflation, and moderate upward pressures on other local cost components," the spokesman said.
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