By Sean Lin / Staff reporterThe recent increase in the cost of living remains within the government’s target and prices have been “relatively stable” compared with previous years, Premier William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday at a question-and-answer session at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei. Lai made the remarks in response to Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Liu Chien-kuo’s (劉建國) questions about the consumer price index rising 2.13 percent year-on-year last month, its fastest pace in 13 months. As prices of goods correlates to electricity prices, Liu asked the premier to comment on media reports that electricity prices would rise either next month or in October, and that the government would make a decision next week at the earliest. It is best not to speculate on the matter, as unnecessary speculation would only aggravate public concern, Lai said. The Electricity Pricing Review Committee would follow standard procedures when evaluating whether it is necessary to raise power rates, Minister of Economic Affairs Shen Jong-chin (沈榮津) said.

Source: Taipei Times March 09, 2018 15:56 UTC