The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) on Year-on-Year (YoY) basis during (February 21, 2019 to February 20, 2020) went up by 15.97 percent, from 112.68 points to 130.67 points, according to the SPI data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
However, on Week-on-Week (WoW) basis the weekly inflation during the week ended February 20 against February 13 has witnessed a decline of 0.14 percent for combined income groups from 131.85 points to 130.67 points, the PBS revealed.
The SPI for the lowest income group with monthly income up to Rs 17,732 witnessed a reduction of 0.03 percent from 134.07 points to 134.03 points on WoW basis, and on YoY basis, it went up by 14.39 percent, from 117.17 points to 134.03 points, the PBS added.
For the income group with monthly income of Rs 17,732-22,888, weekly inflation registered a decline of 0.08 percent from 130.88 points to 129.77 points, while on annual basis, it witnessed an increase of 15.07 percent, from 112.77 points to 129.77 points.
For the monthly income group of Rs 22,889-29,517, the SPI went down by 0.11 percent from 132.81 points to 131.66 points, however on annual basis, it went up by 18.17 percent, from 111.42 points to 131.66 points. Weekly inflation for the income group with monthly income of Rs 29,518-44,175 went down by 0.14 percent from 128.93 points to 128.75 points, while on annual basis the SPI for the above income group went up by 17.56 percent from 109.52 points to 128.75 points.
For the income group of Rs 44,175 or above monthly income, weekly inflation registered a decline of 0.16 percent from 132.74 points to 132.53 points, and on annual basis SPI for the above income group went up by 15.34 percent, from 114.90 points to 132.53 points.
According to the PBS during the week under review, prices of following 13 commodities witnessed a decline: eggs, tomatoes, chicken, potatoes, gur, garlic, gram pulse, wheat flour, masoor pulse, liquefied petroleum gas cylinder, refined sugar, maash pulse and moong pulse.
According to the PBS, prices of the following nine items witnessed an increase: onions, banana, basmati rice, mutton, beef, curd, irri-6 rice, vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib and mustard oil. During the week prices of the following 29 items remained unchanged: powdered milk, salt powder, Lipton Yellow Label tea, cigarettes, printed lawn, gents sandals, ladies sandals, electricity changes, energy saver, gas charges, Sufi washing soap, match box, super petrol, and high-speed diesel.
The PBS data claimed that wheat flour price during the week went down from Rs908.88 per 20kg bag to Rs895.53 per 20kg bag, which translate into per kg price of Rs 44.78, but in market wheat flour is available at Rs 53 per kg, however most of the retailers are selling the commodity at Rs60 per kg. Moreover, after recent wheat flour crisis, the flour millers following the government directions have twice revised the packing of wheat flour bag; first from 20kg bag to 15kg and than from 15kg to 25kg. Prior to the revision of packaging, the price of 15 kg wheat flour bag jumped to Rs860 per bag from Rs730 per bag and than the millers again on government directions revised the packaging from 15kg to 25kg with ex mill price at Rs 1,350 and retail market price at Rs 1,400. The commodity price now has started moving downwards as 25kg wheat flour bag is available at Rs 1,200 as against Rs 1,205 a week ago, which retailers are selling at Rs 1,235. Moreover, the government sponsored wheat flour bag is still available at Rs805 per 20kg but consumers are not purchasing it due to low quality.
The PBS also has claimed a reduction in sugar price from Rs80.04 per kg to Rs79.14 per kg, but in Islamabad/Rawalpindi wholesale market sugar is available at Rs 3,860 per 50kg bag, which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs82-85 per kg.
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