The Consumer Price Index CPI increased by 7.75 percent during July-April 2012-13 as compared to the same period last year, according to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, Member National Accounts /Trade/Prices of PBS, Arif Mehmood Cheema said CPI inflation witnessed an increase of 1.09 percent in April 2013 over the previous month, while it increased by 5.8 percent as compared to April 2012.
According to monthly inflation report released by the PBS, the Wholesale Price Index WPI witnessed an increase of 0.77 percent in April 2013 over the previous month whereas Sensitive Price Index SPI decreased by 0.29 percent over March 2013. Analysis of the CPI data released by the PBS showed that prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages soared by 6.63 percent during July-April 2012-13 over the same period of last year and prices of non-perishable food items recorded increase of 7.93 percent while perishable food items' prices decreased by 0.71 percent.
The cost of alcoholic beverages and tobacco increased by 17.48 percent during the period under review, clothing and footwear by 14.7 percent, housing, water, electricity, gas and fuels by 4.1 percent, furnishing and household equipment maintenance by 13.26 percent, health by 14.17 percent, transport by 10.47 percent, communication by 2.22 percent, recreation and culture by 18.26 percent, education by 9.3 percent, restaurant and hotels by 9.88 percent while prices of miscellaneous items surged by 10.56 percent.
The items that witnessed significant rise in their prices during July-April 2012-13 over July-April 2011-12 include: textbooks 41.63 percent, Besan 33.78 percent, pulse gram 33.7 percent, woollen readymade garments 20.41 percent, Honey 20.33 percent, motor vehicle tax 20.25 percent, and MBBS doctor fee 20.13 percent. Arif Mehmood Cheema said that trimmed core inflation had been observed as it registered a rise of 7.6 percent in April 2013 over April 2012, while it was 11 percent in April 2012 over April 2011. He said the non-food and non-energy core inflation had been observed at 8.7 percent in April 2013 over April 2012, while it was 10.8 percent in April 2012 over April 2011.
Prices of food and non-food items which varied from previous month ie April 2013 over March 2013 include: onion prices increased by 40.12 percent in April 2013 over March 2013, fresh vegetables 20.97 percent, fresh fruits 12.46, chicken 4.76, tea 2.53 percent, fish 1.73 percent, sugar 1.7 percent, pulse Masoor 1.37 percent, beverages 1.29 percent, milk powder 0.93 percent, meat 0.85 percent, gur 0.72 percent, textbooks 6.89 percent, cotton cloth 4.38 percent, education 2.52 percent, dopatta 1.94 percent, hosiery 1.68 percent, house rent 1.48 percent, house hold equipments 1.25 percent, utensils 1.23 percent, construction wages rates 1.17 percent, woollen cloth 1.14 percent, MBBS doctor clinic fee 1.06 percent, construction input items 0.94 percent and stationary 0.89 percent.
The main food and non-food items which showed increase in their prices during the month of April 2013 as compared to the same month of last year include: onions 116.49 percent, honey 17.25 percent, tea 15.67 percent, wheat 15.64 percent, wheat flour 15.3 percent, rice 15.25 percent, wheat products 13.92 percent, cigarettes 13.45 percent.
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