Inflation eased to 1.3pc last month

Inflation eased to 1.3 per cent last month from a year ago versus a 2.8 per cent rise in June, as the government started paying rent for public housing tenants as part of one-off relief measures. Without those, consumer prices rose 1.9 per cent against 1.7 per cent in June, Census and Statistics Department data showed. A government spokesman said the rise in the underlying inflation rate reflected the economic recovery, but upward price pressure would continue.