Dhaka: The living cost in the capital marked a rise by 8.44 per cent in 2017 due to the hike in the prices of daily essentials and the tariffs of utility services, including that of food, house rent, electricity and gas, according to Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB).

CAB president Golam Rahman came up with the statistics at a press briefing at Dhaka Reporter’s Unity (DRU) on Tuesday morning.

CAB came up with the findings after scrutinising the data of 15 kitchen markets, 144 food products, 22 essential items and 14 utility services, including gas, electricity and water.

Last year, Golam Rahman said onion prices hit the roof, posting a a 40.99 percent rise, while rice price hiked by 20.40 per cent, vegetables by 24.72 per cent, liquid milk by 20.36 per cent and beef by 19.28 per cent.

In the services sector, he said, gas price marked a rise by 6.44 per cent, water (per liter) 5 per cent and house rent 8.14 per cent, he added.

They also placed a 10-point recommendation to cut down the high living cost.

The recommendations include formation of a separate department of ‘Supply and Price’ under Commerce Ministry to control the prices of daily essentials, reforming the House Rent Act 1991 and forming a House Rent Commission.           

The latest spike in the living cost was higher than in 2016 when it rose by 6.47 percent in the capital.