The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), for the week ended on March 11, for the lowest income group up to Rs 3,000, has registered nominal increase of 0.19 percent over the previous week. The SPI for the week under review in the above mentioned group was recorded at 255.56 points as against 255.08 points registered in the previous week, according to provisional figures of Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS).
The weekly SPI has been computed with base 2000 2001=100 covering 17 urban centres and 53 essential items for all income groups and combined. SPI for the combined group registered increase of 0.22 percent by declining from 244.06 points in the previous week to 244.59 points in the week under review.
As compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined group in the week under review witnessed increase of 17.14 percent. As compared to the last week, the SPI for the income groups ranging from Rs 3001 5000, Rs 5001 12000 and above Rs 12000 increased by 0.16 percent, 0.18 percent and 0.22 percent respectively.
During the week under review average prices of 11 items registered decrease, while that of 21 items increase with the remaining 21 items' prices unchanged. The items which recorded decrease in their average prices during the week under review included tomatoes, eggs hens (farm), sugar, LPG( 11kg cylender), gur, mustard oil, masoor pulse (washed), wheat (average quality), gram pulse (washed), kerosene and wheat flour (average quality).
The items which registered increase in their prices included, potatoes, cigarettes, moong pulse (washed), mutton, voil (printed), onions, chicken (farm), garlic, beef, lawn, coarse latha, curd, vegetable ghee (loose), cooked dal, shirting, cooked beef, bananas, milk (fresh), firewood, rice (irri-6), mash pulse (washed).
The items with no change in their average prices during the week under review included, telephone local call, diesel, petrol, electricity charges (1-100 unit), gas charges (up to 3.3719 MMBTU), bath soap, washing soap, match box, electricity bulb, chappal, sandal (ladies), sandal (gents), tea (prepared), tea (packet), red chillies, salt (powdered), cooking oil (tin), vegetable ghee (tin), milk (powdered), bread plain (mid size) and rice basmati (broken).