The CPI inflation jumped to 24.52 percent during the first three months - July-September 2008 - against 7.07 percent over the same period of last year on the back of continuous increase in the prices of commodities and services with food and energy on top, according to Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS).
The 24.52 percent CPI index during the three months could further worsen on the back of 34.31 percent wholesale price index (WPI), impact of which could be felt in days ahead. The successive increase in oil prices over the past few months has escalated the cost of living as the prices of essential food items and energy eroded the purchasing power of low-income groups.
The FBS figures show 29.91 percent food inflation during September, 2008 against 12.29 percent over the same month of last year as consumer price index (CPI), sensitive price index (SPI) and wholesale price index (WPI) surged by 23.91, 31.08 and 33.20 percent respectively in September over the same period of last year.
There has been an increase of 0.97 percent increase in CPI inflation in September over previous month. The 29.91 percent food inflation during the first three months of current fiscal was followed by 37.61 percent non-perishable food items, 44.82 percent perishable food items, 16.06 percent apparel textile and footwear.
The house rents have gone up by 15.03 percent, fuel and lightening by 21.48 percent, household furniture and equipment by 12.67 percent, transport and communication by 39.86 percent, recreation and entertainment by 12.22 percent and education by 15.95 percent, laundry and personal appearance by 19.30 percent and medicare by 10.73 percent during the period under review.
The reliability of the figures, given by the government on inflation, is also questionable because the government was always blamed for figure fudging to underestimate the actual increase in price hike. However, the central bank has tightened the monetary policy to curtail sharp and unabated increase in the inflation rate but in vain as the government continued to borrow from the bank to meet its expenditure, particularly the non-development ones.
There is no sign that inflation would come down as economist and analysts believe the government did nothing to check the rising inflation to provide some relief to the poor except for making rhetoric. Moreover, the prices vary from shop-to-shop and market-to-market with traders charging whatever price they liked.
The main commodities, which showed an increase in their prices during September 2008 over August, 2008 are in food and beverages, onions (17.01 percent), fresh fruits (15.12 percent), potatoes (9.99 percent), Gur (6.17 percent), honey (5.73 percent), gram whole (4.81 percent), dry fruits (4.51 percent), cereals (2.89 percent), fish (2.87 percent), pulse gram (2.57 percent), condiments (2.51 percent), jam, tomato, pickles, vinegar and sweetmeat (2.44 percent each), milk powder (1.92 percent), sugar(1.90 percent), Baisan (1.38 percent), pulse Mash (1.37 percent), readymade food (1.21 percent), tea (1.02 percent), cigarettes (0.97 percent) and meat (0.91 percent).
In apparel, textile and footwear, tailoring charges increased by (2.68 percent), hosiery by (2.51 percent), readymade, garments by (1.71 percent) and cotton cloth by (1.24 percent), kerosene oil by (4.45 percent), natural gas by (1.81 percent) and firewood by (1.11 percent).
In household furniture and equipment's, the prices of refrigerator and airconditioner increased by (3.80 percent), plastic products by (2.35 percent), electric iron, fans and washing machine by (1.46 percent), sewing machine, clock, needles and household equipment's by (1.26 percent each), readymade furniture by (1.25 percent), suitcase by (1.21 percent), furnishing by (1.11 percent), marriage hall (1.03 percent) and utensils (one percent).
In transport and communication, the prices of diesel increased by (5.49 percent), tyre and tube by (4.29 percent), transport fare charges by (3.15 percent), vehicles by (2.62 percent) and service charges by (1.30 percent) while in education the prices of stationery increased by (2.63 percent).
WHOLESALE PRICE INDEX: The main commodities, which showed an increase in prices in September, 2008 over August, 2008 included the prices of vegetables (44.91 percent), onions (23.64 percent), fresh fruits (21.91 percent), Gur (11.31 percent), potatoes (9.79 percent), powdered milk (7.47 percent), gram whole (6.63 percent), gram split (4.28 percent), beans (4.21 percent), fish (3.84 percent), milk food (3.74 percent), dry fruits (3.63 percent), sugar refined (3.47 percent), condiments (3.40 percent), Baisan (2.97 percent), vegetables prepared/preserved (2.88 percent), Maida (2.77 percent), tea (2.34 percent), salt (2.03 percent), spices (1.76 percent), cooking oil (1.58 percent), fresh milk (1.43 percent), mustard and rapeseed oil (1.21 percent) and wheat (1.16 percent), sanitarywares (4.02 percent), cement blocks (2.20 percent), glass sheets (1.63 percent) and wires and cables (1.40 percent).