The Federal Bureau of Statistics has reported upsurge in kitchen items and fruit prices as the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the week ending May 10 was 8.19 percent higher as compared to the corresponding week of last year.
Tomatoes price has increased by 17.78 percent against last week and is being sold at Rs 29-Rs 34 per kg and eggs price also increased by 5.26 percent against last week. Bananas price increased 3.84 percent, potatoes 2.02 percent, milk fresh 1.47 percent, rice basmati broken 1.42 per cent, rice Irri-6 1.08 percent, moong pulses 0.74 percent and LPG (11 kg cylinder) by 0.54 percent.
Similarly, vegetable ghee (tin) price increased by 0.14 percent, mutton 0.13 percent, beef 0.25 percent and bath soap by 0.40 percent against last week. The SPI, compiled and released by the FBS year-on-year of 53 essential commodities clearly indicated that low-income families were more affected by the price increase.
The prices of essential kitchen and daily use items have been consuming their budgets depriving them of hard cash required for utilities bills etc. The statistics showed that the low-income group was more hurt by the price hike as compared to the high-income group in the week under review as SPI inflation has been recovered at 8.91 percent for those earning between Rs 3,000 and Rs 5,000 against 6.93 percent who earn Rs 12,000 or more.
The FBS, that monitors prices of 53 essential commodities in 17 urban centres, reported that the prices of 19 items registered increase while nine posted decrease during the week. Besides, out of these 53 items, the prices of 25 items remained unchanged but were still costlier as compared to last year.
Eighteen items, which registered double-digit increase year-on-year basis, included tomatoes 121.106 percent, red chillies 68.46 percent, milk fresh 14.02 percent, rice broken 33.94 percent, rice Irri 21.68 percent, curd 11.66 percent, chicken 43.41 percent, firewood 10.06 percent, vegetable ghee tin 17.99 percent, milk powder Nido 21.61 percent and mustard oil 24.28 percent.
Similarly, price of cooking oil tin increased by 18.12 percent and cooked beef and match box also increased by double digits. The price of 50-kg cement bag during the week remained Rs 233 in Rawalpindi, Rs 237 Islamabad, Rs 230 Lahore, Rs 225 Multan, Rs 235 Karachi, Rs 225 Hyderabad, Rs 226 Peshawar and the highest Rs 270 in Quetta.