Macao's Composite CPI (consumer price index) for March 2010 went up slightly by 1.88 percent over the same month last year to 103.01, which was attributable to the price increase of Food and non-alcoholic beverages, according to the figures released on Thursday by the city's Statistics and Census Service (DSEC).

On account of dear prices of gasoline and new arrival of Spring clothing, rising gold prices and higher charges for meals bought away from home, price indices of Transport, Clothing and footwear; Miscellaneous goods and services and Food and non-alcoholic beverages rose by 8.4 percent, 5.51 percent, 5.45 percent and 4.11 percent year-on-year respectively last month, the figures indicated.

Meanwhile, reduced charges for mobile phone services and lower rentals for housing drove the price indices of Communication, and Housing and fuels down by 3.37 percent and one percent respectively in March.

The average Composite CPI for the first quarter of 2010 increased by 1.52 percent year-on-year to 102.81, and for the 12 months that ended in March 2010, the average Composite CPI rose by 0.74 percent over the preceding period, according to the DSEC.