Therefore, I was surprised when NTUC FairPrice increased the price for a 5kg bag of rice from $8.50 to $10.80 or $11.80 a week ago.

On Tuesday, the price shot up again to $13.80. The two price rises amount to an increase of more than 60 per cent.

For a 10kg bag of rice, the price rose from $17.50 or $18.50 to $20.80 one week ago. On Tuesday, the price rose to $26.80. This works out to a price increase of more than 50 per cent.

Why were there price hikes for old and current stocks of rice? There is no reason for NTUC FairPrice or suppliers to increase the price of old stocks of rice. The price increase should affect only new shipments. As we have a three-month stockpile, this should take effect about three months later; certainly not now.

I was also surprised by the rise in FairPrice's prices for vegetable cooking oil. The price for a 1kg bottle which was $1.75 had increased to $3.55 within the past six months.

For a 2kg bottle, the price rose from $2.35 to $5.25 or $5.35 a week ago. On Tuesday, the price spiked again to $5.90.

And this was for cooking oil sold under FairPrice's house brand, which has been labelled as a 'low-price item' for the past six months.

Is the price hike a consequence of the Malaysian ban on Singaporeans buying cooking oil?

There are so many more FairPrice items whose prices have kept rising in the past six months to a year, a consumer finds it difficult to list all of them.

I really do not see the need for FairPrice to increase prices virtually every week or monthly for consumer essentials.

Lily Cheong (Mdm)

METEORIC RICE

'A 10kg bag of rice rose from $17.50 or $18.50 to $20.80 one week ago. On Tuesday, the price rose to $26.80.'

'LOW PRICE' COOKING OIL

'For a 2kg bottle, the price rose from $2.35 to $5.25 or $5.35 a week ago. On Tuesday, the price spiked again to $5.90...for cooking oil sold under FairPrice's house brand, labelled a 'low-price item'.'