Rio, 1/6/2004 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The last weekly consumer price survey (IPC-S) of 2003, conducted by the Fundação Getúlio Vargas found prices had risen 0.46%, an increase of 0.02 percentage points over the prior survey.

Prices were pushed upwards by the Food category, which went from an increase of 0.34% to one of 0.49%. The survey also showed that the sharp increase in the price of lottery bets had been absorbed and was no longer having a strong effect on the index.

Six out of the twelve cities surveyed had price increases. The biggest price rise was in Fortaleza, up 0.86%. In Curitiba, prices were flat (up 0.00%). (AB)