Lowest income group: weekly inflation increases by 0.08 percent

The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), for the week ended on March, 17 for the lowest income group up to Rs 3,000, has registered increase of 0.08 percent over the previous week. The SPI for the week under review in the above mentioned group was recorded at 299.61 points as against 299.36 points registered in the previous week, according to provisional figures of Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS).
The weekly SPI has been computed with base 2000 2001=100 covering 17 urban centres and 53 essential items for all income groups and combined. SPI for the combined group registered decrease of 0.16 per cent as it went down from 285.59 points in the previous week to 285.12 points in the week under review.
As compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined group in the week under review witnessed increase of 15.98 percent. As compared to the last week, the SPI for the income groups from Rs 3001-5000 was increased by 0.01 percent, while SPI for income group falling Rs 5001-12000 was decreased by 0.10 percent.
Meanwhile, sensitive price indicator for Rs 12000 and above has witnessed very nominal decrease of 0.24 percent. During the week under review average prices of 13 items registered decrease, while that of 20 items increase with the remaining 20 items' prices unchanged.
The items which recorded decrease in their average prices during the week under review included chicken, onion, egg, gram pluses (washed), mustard oil, potato, moong pulses (washed), vegetable ghee (loose), red chilies, LPG cylinder (11 kg), mash pulses (washed), masoor pulses (washed), kerosine.
The items which registered increase in their prices included tomatoes, bath soap, washing soap, sugar, corse latah, lawn, beef, shirting, cooked beef (plate), rice (irri-6), curd, mutton, cooked dal plate, fire wood, milk fresh, garlic, gurr, bananas, voil print, wheat (average quality).
The items with no change in their average prices during the week under review included wheat, rice bassmati (broken), bread plain (mod size), milk powder (nido), vegetable ghee (tin), cooking oil (tin), salt powder, tea packet, cigarettes (K-2), sandal gents, sandal ladies, chappal, electric bulb (40w), match box, gas charges up to (3.3719 MMBUT), electricity charges (1-100) petrol, diesel, telephone (local calls).