Major impact on index levels (0.22%) causes bus fares to rise by 4.43% in April

The Extended Consumer Price Index - 15 (IPCA-15) has changed by 0.74% in April, having doubled in relation to March (0.35%). The current yearly accumulation of the index is 2.53% and the figure for the last twelve months (from March 2004 to April 2005) is 7.88%. The data – collected between March 15^th and April 13^th – were compared with the current prices between February 15^th and March 14^th .

Several items have had an increase since last March. Nevertheless, the most significant individual impact was that of urban bus fares, which had already risen by 1.83% in March and reached 4.43 % in April, accounting for a rise of 0.22% this month. This change reflects part of the readjustments in Porto Alegre (12.18%), São Paulo (10.50%) and Rio de Janeiro (1.87%)

The prices of the following products have also risen in April : medicines (from 0.19% in March to 0.61% in April), apparel (from 0.10% to 0.83%) and food products (from 0.17% to 0.48%), especially tomatoes (13.70%), potatoes (9.82%), pasteurized milk (3.55%), eggs (3.41%), refined sugar (3.28%) and powdered milk (2.15%).

Some other items which are more expensive now are: mobile phone services (2.45%), water and sewerage fees (1.78%), used cars (1.43%), vehicle insurance (1.41%) and fuel alcohol (1.11%).

The highest figure by area was registered in Porto Alegre (1.13%) as a consequence, mainly , of the price readjustment of urban bus fares (12.18%), on March 13, and of the increase of ICMS charges on electricity (3.39%) and phone services (3.27%), since April 1^st. In Salvador, where the price of food has fallen by 54%, a deflation of 0.13% was registered - the lowest result by area released this month.

The IPCA-15 relates to families whose monthly income range from 1 to 40 minimum wages, from whatever source, and encompasses the metropolitan areas of Rio de Janeiro, Porto Alegre, Belo Horizonte, Recife, São Paulo, Belém, Fortaleza, Salvador and Curitiba, besides Brasília and Goiânia. The methodology applied is the same used for the measure of the IPCA; the difference between both indices lies in the period of data collection.

APRIL

General Index

0.74%

Porto Alegre

1.13%

Belo Horizonte

1.06%

Curitiba

1.03%

Goiânia

1.00%

São Paulo

0.90%

Fortaleza

0.54%

Recife

0.52%

Rio de Janeiro

0.39%

Belém

0.29%

Brasília

0.02%

Salvador

-0.13%