TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS, 主計總處) announced that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for August increased by 2.36% year-over-year, marking the fourth consecutive month above the 2% inflation warning line.
Rising rents, dining-out expenses, and typhoon-induced agricultural losses primarily drove this surge.
Tsao Chih-hung (曹志弘), a DGBAS official, noted that rent, registration fees, electricity, entertainment services, parking, and airfare hikes significantly impacted the CPI. However, he added that falling egg and fuel prices helped offset some of these increases.
Tsao explained that the 2.36% rise in August's CPI was smaller than initially expected. He attributed this to stable weather conditions and faster replanting efforts, which led to a noticeable drop in vegetable prices and a moderation in fruit price hikes.
Tsao forecasts a more minor CPI increase for September, expecting core CPI to fall to 1.8%, signaling a trend toward overall price stability.