Taiwan's CPI growth hits new high in April

TAIPEI -- Taiwan's consumer price index (CPI), a main gauge of inflation, rose by 3.38 percent year on year in April, hitting a new record high, according to data released by the island's statistics agency.

In the first four months of this year, Taiwan's average CPI rose by 2.95 percent compared with the same period last year, above the 2-percent inflation warning line, the agency said Friday.

It attributed the CPI rise mainly to the oil price hikes in the international market, and higher prices of vegetables, fruits, restaurant food, meat, housewares and rent.

Food prices registered the highest growth of 6.91 percent, with vegetable prices soaring by 27.7 percent and egg prices jumping by 21.39 percent.