Pakistan faces worst food inflation with an increase of 25.50 per cent in the prices of staple food and beverages during April over the same period last year, ringing alarm bells for the government and increasing miseries of the masses.
The galloping inflation coupled with low quality core staple food - flour - in the market rubs more salt on the masses' wounds, who are already wrestling with the skyrocketing prices of kitchen items.
The Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS) released data on Consumer Price Index (CPI) on Monday showed 10.27 per cent increase in the CPI inflation for the year, with Sensitive Price Indicators (SPI) surged by up to 14.09 per cent and Wholesale Price Indicator 13.70 per cent.
The food prices rose 3.04 per cent in April over last month and 17.21 per cent over the same period last year, although people do not agree with the price hike figures of the government. The higher prices of oil, food and energy are likely to further increase the inflation by the year's end. The 25.50 per cent surge in food and beverage inflation was followed by 27.33 per cent and 14.05 per cent increase in non-perishable and perishable food items respectively whereas there was 8.39 per cent increase in apparel, textile and footwear items.
The house rent swelled by 11.35 per cent, unclear whether this increase took place in rural or urban areas given the fact that rent prices varies from city to city with substantial difference, and could be easily manipulated.
The fuel and lightening prices rose by 8.55 per cent during the period under review, household, furniture and equipment by 8.36 per cent while cost of transport and communication surged by 17.92 per cent. The cost of education surged by 4.70 per cent, cleaning, laundry and personal appearance by 15.78 per cent while there was an increase of 7.44 per cent in the cost of medicare during the period under review.
The main commodities which showed an increase in their prices during April included eggs (27.36%), fresh fruits (26.09%), wheat flour (22.37%), chicken farm (16.32%), potatoes (9.74%), wheat (8.60%), rice (8.07%), pulse gram (6.70%), onion (5.73%), maida (4.60%), cooking oil (3.38%), pulse masoor (3.24%), milk products (3.19%), milk fresh (3.16%), beverages (1.66%), and dry fruits 0.92%).
WHOLESALE PRICE INDEX: Wholesale price index surged by 23.50 per cent in April 2008 over the same period of last year with 4.3 per cent increase over last month. The food inflation was recorded at 24.57 per cent in WPI followed by 24.57 per cent increase in raw material, 11.63 per cent in fuel and lightening and 36.60 per cent in lubricants as well as 9.75 per cent in manufacturers and 28.18 per cent in building materials.
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