The prices of commodities in Guangdong Province would rise by 3.8 percent, a recent work meeting of the provincial pricing bureau was told.

The meeting was told the consumer price index in Guangdong rose by 4 percent from January to November last year, below the national average.

However, pressure to restrain prices was obviously mounting and undecided factors which contribute to rising prices would be much more complicated, said Chen Xiaochuan, chief of the provincial pricing bureau. A moderate rise in prices would occur with the overall pricing remaining stable, Chen said.

The pricing bureau has implemented a monitoring system for 17 items designated by national and provincial bureaus comprising food, non-staple food, steel, petroleum, fertilizers and coal.

It had also implemented plans to raise prices of agricultural materials, proposed minimum prices for food, and taken measures to tackle fluctuations in the price of liquefied petroleum in eight cities in Guangdong Province.

(Shenzhen Daily February 17, 2005)