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Most people ¡¥feel
strongly¡¦ about rising prices: poll
NOT ENOUGH: Despite government moves to slow the
growth in consumer prices, 57 percent of respondents said they were not
satisfied with the efforts, the survey said
By Loa Iok-sin / Staff Reporter
Although the government has made efforts to stem a rise in consumer prices, as
much as 60 percent of people still ¡§feel strongly¡¨ about the price increases, a
survey by the Consumers¡¦ Foundation showed yesterday.
¡§It¡¦s about time that the government seriously consider some real efforts to
stop consumer prices from skyrocketing because our survey shows that as much as
60 percent of the public ¡¥feels strongly¡¦ about rising prices,¡¨ Consumers¡¦
Foundation chairwoman Joann Su (ĬÀAÁø) told a press conference in Taipei.
The foundation conducted a random poll of the main grocery shoppers of
households across the country, asking them to fill out survey forms from the end
of March to the middle of last month and collecting more than 1,200 valid
samples.
GAS AND FOOD
Sixty percent ¡X or 744 ¡X of respondents said they felt strongly about the price
increases, 30 percent ¡X or 477 ¡X said they noticed the price rises, but did not
feel as strongly, while 13 percent said they had not noticed rising prices, the
survey showed.
¡§We divided consumer products into 14 categories and asked respondents in which
category did they feel prices had increased the most,¡¨ Consumers¡¦ Foundation
secretary-general Chen Chih-yi (³¯´¼¸q) said. ¡§Eighty-three percent answered
¡¥gasoline¡¦ and ¡¥natural gas,¡¦ followed by the price of instant noodles, with 77
percent. Milk and dairy products came third at 68 percent.¡¨
¡§Traditionally, people think instant noodles are cheap, but it¡¦s different now,
as a pack of instant noodles could cost more than a lunch box,¡¨ he added.
Chen said aside from these top three categories, there were five other
categories in which more than 50 percent of respondents believed prices had gone
up too much: fruit, toilet paper, snacks, cooking oil and rice.
BURDEN
Official statistics released by the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting,
and Statistics showed that the consumer price index last month rose 0.79 percent
from March.
¡§The prices of each category only went up a little bit, but it becomes quite a
burden for the public when all [the price rises] are added up,¡¨ Su said.
Despite government efforts to slow down the growth in prices, 57 percent of the
people surveyed were not satisfied with the efforts, with only 2 percent saying
they were satisfied, Su said.
¡§At the moment, there¡¦s only a small task force dealing with rising consumer
prices. Maybe it¡¦s about time to think about giving the task to a higher-level
agency,¡¨ Su said.
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