Macao's Composite CPI (consumer price index) for April 2010 went up slightly by 2.56 percent over the same month last year to 103.68, which was attributable to the price increase of Food and non-alcoholic beverages and Transport, according to the figures released Wednesday 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, Miscellaneous goods and services, Food and non-alcoholic beverages, and Clothing and footwear rose by 9.11 percent, 5.26 percent, 5.04 percent and 4.83 percent year-on-year respectively last month, the figures indicated.

Meanwhile, reduced charges for mobile phone services drove the price index of Communication down by 3.39 percent in April.

The average Composite CPI for the first four months of 2010 increased by 1.78 percent year-on-year, and for the 12 months that ended in April 2010, the average Composite CPI rose by 0.75 percent over the preceding period, according to the DSEC.