The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the week ended on March 16 for the lowest income group up to Rs 3,000 registered decrease over the previous week. The SPI for the week under review in the above-mentioned group was recorded at 138.39 as against the previous weeks 138.99 showing 0.43 percent decrease, according to Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS).
The weekly SPI has been computed with revised base 2000-2-01=100 covering 17 urban centres and 33 essential items for all income groups and combined.
During the week under review, average prices of 11 items registered decrease, while those of 14 items increased, with remaining 28 items' prices unchanged.
The items, which recorded decrease in their average prices during the week under review were tomatoes, LPG (11 kg cylinder), chicken farm, bananas, gram pulse washed, garlic, wheat, mustard oil, red chillies (powdered), egg (farm) and masoor pulse washed.
The items, which registered increase in their prices included potatoes, salt (powdered), sugar, beef, mutton, mash pulse washed, moong pulse washed, wheat flour average quality, milk powdered (Nido), gur, milk fresh, veg ghee (tin), onions and cooking oil (tin).
The items with no change in their average prices during the week under review included rice Basmati broken, rice Irri-6, bread plain medium size, curd, veg ghee (loose), tea (packet), tea (prepared), cooked beef (plate), cooked dal (plate), cigarettes K-2, coarse latha, lawn, voil printed, shirting, sandal gents (Bata), sandal ladies (Bata), chappal sponge. (Bata), kerosene, firewood, elect, bulb (60 Watts), match box, washing soap (nylon), bath soap (Lifebuoy), gas charges upto 3.3719 MMBTU, elec charges 1-100, petrol, diesel and telephone charges.