Govt should take steps to lessen impact of rising CPI on people

ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL BUREAU OF STATISTICS, the consumer price index increased 2.3 percent year-on-year in August. Beijing Youth Daily commented on Tuesday:

The CPI, a measure of inflation, has risen for three consecutive months, increasing by more than 2 percent four times this year, which is rare in recent years. The CPI's average monthly growth in the first eight months was 2 percent, and the rise in food prices is seen as the main driving force behind the increase.

The government must be vigilant to the impact of the soaring CPI on people's livelihoods, as the prices of food, daily necessities, transportation, and mobile and internet services have risen consecutively for nine months, not to mention housing prices. For instance, the cost of medical care has increased more than 4 percent year-on-year for several months, and this alarming rise will invariably increase the cost of living.