Combined income groups: SPI inflation up 0.13pc WoW

The SPI inflation during the week that ended May 28, 2020 against May 21, 2010 recorded an increase of 0.13 percent for combined income groups, ie, from 128.15 points to 128.32 points, Pakistan Bureau of Statistic (PBS) revealed.
According to the PBS's weekly inflation data released Friday, the SPI on Year-on-Year (YoY) basis from May 30, 2019 to May 28, 2020 also recorded an increase of 9.63 percent, ie, from 117.05 points to 128.32 points.
The PBS has attributed the variations in the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) to a rise in prices of following food items: chicken 2.45 percent, potatoes 1.85 percent, and wheat flour 1.18 percent with joint impact of 0.06 into the overall SPI for combined group of 0.13 percent.
While during the week under review prices of following commodities witnessed a reduction: tomatoes 4.7 percent, garlic 3.46 percent, onions 2.22 percent, bananas 1.64 percent, pulse gram 1.19 percent, pulse masoor 1.15 percent, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) 1.14 percent, eggs 0.60 percent, and pulse maash 0.42 percent.
During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 12 items (23.53 percent of the basket) increased, while prices of nine items (17.65 percent of the basket) decreased, and prices of 30 items (58.82 percent of the basket) remained constant.
On YoY basis, prices of the following items witnessed an increase: potatoes 105.13 percent, pulse moong 81.40 percent, maash 50.38 percent, masoor 33.65 percent, cigarettes 31.09 percent, vegetable ghee 1kg 28.29 percent, garlic 26.73 percent, vegetable ghee 2.5kg 26.60 percent, gur 24.38 percent, cooking oil 5kg 20.78 percent, sugar 19.57 percent, chicken 19.01 percent, Sufi washing soap 18.92 percent, bread plain 18.83 percent, and pulse gram 15.59 percent.
While on YoY basis, prices of following items witnessed a reduction: high-speed diesel 34.38 percent, tomatoes 33.76 percent, onions 26.39 percent, petrol 24.65 percent, bananas 6.88 percent, LPG 5.82 percent, and electricity for Q1 0.27 percent.
The SPI for the monthly income group up to Rs17,732 registered an increase of 0.10 percent, from 134.06 points to 134.20 points on WoW basis, and on YoY basis, it recorded an increase of 11.07 percent, from 120.82 points to 134.20 points.
The SPI for the income group with monthly income of Rs17,732-22,888 went up by 0.12 percent, from 128.71 points to 128.87 points, while on annual basis, it witnessed an increase of 10.75 percent, from 116.36 points to 128.87 points.
For the monthly income group of Rs22,889-29,517, the SPI jumped by 0.14 percent, from 130.84 points to 131.02 points, while on annual basis, it went up by 13.51 percent, from 115.43 points to 131.02 points.
Weekly inflation for the income group with monthly income of Rs29,518-44,175 went up by 0.14 percent, from 127.73 points to 127.91 points, while on annual basis, the SPI for the above income group went up by 12.30 percent, from 113.90 points to 127.91 points.
For the income group of Rs44,175 or above monthly income groups, weekly inflation registered a growth of 0.12 percent, from 129.05 points to 129.21 points, and on annual basis, the SPI for the above income group went up by 8.02 percent, from 119.62 points to 129.21 points.
An analysis of the PBS data shows that there is a differences in market prices of various commodities and the rates mentioned by the PBS such as wheat flour price in open market is Rs1,000 per 20kg bag, while the PBS has mentioned Rs896.14 per 20kg bag.
Refined sugar minimum cost in market is Rs83 per kg, while the PBS has mentioned Rs81.40 per kg, moong pulse in market is costing Rs300 per kg, while the PBS has calculated it at Rs284.76 per kg, average quality mutton costs minimum Rs1,040 per kg, while the PBS mentioned it as Rs940.27 (in Islamabad mutton price is Rs1,250 per kg).