Year-on-year, increases in prices slowed for food (excluding meals bought away from home) (+5.6 percent from +8.8 percent in January); housing (+3.8 percent from +3.9 percent); transport (+1.0 percent from +1.2 percent) while accelerated for miscellaneous services (+3.7 percent from +1.8 percent), with package tours rose 6.6 percent; miscellaneous goods (+1.1 percent from +0.5 percent) and electricity, gas and water (+0.5 percent from +0.1 percent). Meals bought away from home (+3.6 percent); alcoholic drinks and tobacco (+0.2 percent) cost remained unchanged. In contrast, downward pressure came from durable goods (-5.1 percent from -5.1 percent) and clothing and footwear (-3.7 percent from -1.7 percent).
Netting out the effects of all Government's one-off relief measures, prices also rose 2.9 percent, compared to 3.1 percent in the previous month.