Weekly SPI inflation swells to 24.19 percent

Weekly SPI inflation swelled to 24.19 percent on February 19, 2009 over the same period of last year on the back of steep increase in the prices of kitchen commodities, particularly vegetables, according to data released by Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS) on Friday. Figures on weekly inflation, measured through Sensitive Price Indicators, showed a steep increase in the prices of chicken, onion and tomatoes.
The price of per kg chicken went up to Rs 120 during the week from previous month''s Rs 112, onion to Rs 33 per kg from Rs 27, and tomatoes to Rs 32 from Rs 28. Increase in the prices of mutton, wheat average quality, beef, vegetable ghee loose, milk fresh and cigarettes was also recorded during the week.
With this increase the dearness for the families with monthly income of Rs 3000 went to over 23.66 percent, for Rs 3001 to Rs 5000 24.32 percent, Rs 5001 to Rs 12000 to 25.33 percent and the dearness for the families of Rs 12000 monthly and over monthly income was recorded 23.96 percent during the week.
During the week, an increase of 0.65 percent in combined SPI was recorded. The SPI bulletin showed that prices of 9 essential commodities increased during the week, 18 declined, and the prices of 26 essential commodities remained stable.
According to FBS, the price of K-2 10 cigarettes increased to Rs 9.38 from Rs 8.94, mutton kg to Rs 262.88 from Rs 261.48, wheat average quality kg to Rs 24.55 from Rs 24.48, beef kg to Rs 144.30 from Rs 144.00, vegetable ghee loose kg to Rs 99.14 from Rs 99.02, milk fresh litre to Rs 36.56 from Rs 36.54.
The average prices LPG (11 kg cylinder) eased to Rs 824.00 from Rs 844.65, potatoes kg to Rs 12.93 from Rs 13.22, egg hen (farm) dozen to Rs 58.74 from Rs 59.88, gram pulse washed kg to Rs 58.32 from Rs 59.38, sugar kg to Rs 41.50 from Rs 42.07, moong pulse washed kg to Rs 47.79 from Rs 48.14, masoor pulse washed kg to Rs 125.77 from Rs 126.57, gur kg to Rs 45.79 from Rs 46.07, bananas dozen to Rs 35.65 from Rs 35.81, garlic kg to Rs 41.56 from Rs 41.74, red chillies kg to Rs 132.61 from Rs 132.95, kerosene litre to Rs 63.59 from Rs 63.71, rice basmati broken kg to Rs 44.38 from Rs 44.45, rice Irri-6 kg to Rs 36.43 from Rs 36.49, firewood 40 kg to Rs 270.49 from Rs 270.93, mash pulse washed kg to Rs 76.08 from Rs 76.19, mustard oil kg to Rs 141.12 from Rs 141.28, wheat flour av qlt kg to Rs 24.54 from Rs 24.56.