ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the week ended July 16, 2020 registered a decrease of 0.01 percent for the combined income groups mainly due to decline in prices of food items including tomatoes (16.58 percent), wheat flour (7.97 percent), moong (4.69 percent) and cooking oil 5 liters (0.28 percent).
According to the latest data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the SPI went down from 132.62 points during the week that ended July 9, 2020 to 133.61 points in the week under review.
The year-on-year trend depicts an increase of 10.29 percent with most of the items increased mainly chillies powder (82.36 percent, potatoes (78.22 percent), tomatoes (77.63 percent), moong (41.51 percent), eggs (37.08 percent), maash (34.96 percent), chicken (29.32 percent), masoor (25.52 percent), vegetable ghee 1Kg (24.77 percent), vegetable ghee 2.5kg (23.53 percent), long cloth (18.11 percent), gur (17.37 percent), Sufi washing soap (17.28 percent) and sugar (17.15 percent), while a major decrease was observed in the price of diesel (18.08 percent), onions (18.03 percent), petrol (11.23 percent), electricity for Q1 (0.80 percent) and garlic (0.41 percent).
The weekly SPI covers 17 urban centres and 51 essential items for all expenditure groups. During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 23 (45.09 percent) items increased, 10 (19.60 percent) items decreased, and 18 (32.14 percent) items remained constant.
The SPI for the lowest income group decreased by 0.39 percent compared to the previous week. The index for the group stood at 139.45 points against 139.99 points in the previous week, according to provisional figures released by the PBS.
The SPI for the consumption groups from Rs17,732 to Rs22,888, Rs22,889 to Rs29,517, Rs29,518 to Rs44,175 and above Rs44,175 per month decreased by 0.32 percent, 0.20 percent, 0.09 percent, and 0.86 percent respectively, while for above Rs44,175 it increased by 0.14 percent. The commodities, which recorded decrease in their average prices include tomatoes (16.58 percent), salt powdered (0.89 percent), LPG 11.67 kg cylinder (0.24 percent), wheat flour (7.97 percent), masoor (0.64), moong (4.69), vegetable ghee 2.5 kg (0.32 percent), bananas (2.25 percent), cooking oil (SN), 5 litres (0.28), and maash (1.50 percent).
The commodities, which recorded an increase in their average price include garlic (3.32 percent), rice basmati broken (1.66 percent), long cloth 57" (2 percent), sugar (2.84 percent), tea prepared (1.54 percent), lawn printed (2 percent), eggs (2.83 percent), mutton (1.5 percent), shirting (1.31 percent), potatoes (2.22 percent), mustard oil (1.09 percent), curd (2.04 percent), milk fresh (1.04 percent), beef (1.78 percent), onions (1.01 percent). Prices of the commodities that observed no change during the week under review include bread plain (small size), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib or other superior quality, chilies powder National, tea Lipton Yellow Label, cooked daal at average hotel per plate, gents sandal Bata pair, gents sponge chappal Bata pair, ladies sandal Bata pair, electricity charges, gas charges, firewood whole, energy saver Philips, Sufi washing soap, match box, petrol super, hi-speed diesel, telephone call charges, and toilet soap.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
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