Inflation declines 0.44 percent in WoW

The weekly inflation during week-ended April 9 against March 26-April 2, 2020 on Week-on-Week (WoW) basis witnessed a reduction of 0.44 percent for combine income group from 125.52 points to 124.97 points, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistic (PBS) revealed.

According to the PBS's weekly inflation data released here on Friday, the SPI on Year-on-Year (YoY) basis during (April 11, 2019 to April 9, 2020) witnessed an increase of 8.20 percent from 115.50 points to 124.97 points.

The PBS has attributed reduction in the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) to a decline in the prices of food and non-food items including onions 18.1 percent, garlic 12.02 percent, tomatoes 7.34 percent, potatoes 5.65 percent, wheat flour 2.57 percent, sugar 0.91 percent, vegetable ghee 1kg 0.52 percent, eggs 0.47 percent, cooking oil 5kg 0.37 percent, vegetable ghee 2.5kg 0.37 percent, and among non-food items LPG 3.85 percent.

While during the week under review, the prices of following commodities witnessed an increase: moong pulse 7.85 percent, pulse masoor 7.83 percent, pulse mash 3.29 percent, pulse gram 2.33 percent, bananas 1.12 percent, and beef 1.09 percent.

During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 14 items (27.45 percent of the basket) increased, while prices of 11 items (21.56 percent of the basket) decreased, and prices of the 26 items (50.98 percent of the basket) remained constant.

On year-on-year (YoY) basis, prices of the following items witnessed an increase: pulse moong 94.88 percent, potatoes 88.40 percent, pulse mash 59.95 percent, garlic 59.18 percent, eggs 45.01 percent, pulse masoor 40.09 percent, onions 36.82 percent, pulse gram 31.04 percent, cigarette 30.71 percent, gur 29.85 percent, vegetable ghee 1kg 29.70 percent, vegetable ghee 2.5kg 28.83 percent, sugar 25.03 percent, cooking oil 5kg 22.15 percent, bread plain 20.69 percent, Sufi washing soap 18.82 percent, long cloth 15.95 percent, shirting 15.74 percent, and powdered milk Nido 15.07 percent.

While prices of following items witnessed a reduction on YoY basis: tomatoes 57.61 percent, chicken 29.11 percent, hi-speed diesel 8.36 percent, electricity for Q1 6.33 percent, bananas 2.55 percent, and petrol 2.23 percent.

The SPI for the monthly income group up to Rs17,732 registered a decline of 0.67 percent from 131.03 points to 130.15 points on WoW basis, and on YoY basis, it recorded an increase of 8.9 percent, from 119.52 points to 130.15 points.

For the income group with monthly income of Rs 17,732-22,888, weekly inflation registered a reduction of 0.59 percent from 125.54 points to 124.80 points, while on annual basis, it witnessed an increase of 8.17 percent from 115.37 points to 124.80 points.

For the monthly income group of Rs 22,889-29,517, the SPI went down by 0.51 percent from 127.64 points to 126.99 points, while on annual basis, it went up by 11.36 percent from 114.04 points to 126.99 points.

Weekly inflation for the income group with monthly income of Rs29,518-44,175 went down by 0.45 percent, from 124.51 points to 123.95 points, while on annual basis, the SPI for the above income group went up by 10.46 percent, from 112.21 points to 123.95 points.

For the income group Rs 44,175 or above monthly income groups, weekly inflation registered a decline of 0.38 percent from 126.90 points to 126.42 points, and on annual basis the SPI for the above income group went up by 7.36 percent from 117.75 points to 126.42 points.

The PBS has not correctly mentioned the increase in moong pulse price, which according to wholesalers has reached to Rs 12,000 per 40kg from Rs 10,400 per 40kg, while in retail it is available at Rs 325 per kg against Rs 280 per kg available two weeks ago, and the PBS has priced it at Rs280 per kg, which is below the wholesale market price.

Similarly, red chilli price has reached Rs 30,000 per 40kg within the past two weeks from Rs 21,000 per 40kg in wholesale market but the PBS has mentioned retail price of 200 gram pack chilli at Rs 158.57 per pack, which is below the wholesale price.