ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the week ended March 11, 2021 recorded a decrease of 0.57 percent over the last week due to decline in prices of garlic (6.64 percent), chicken (2.96 percent), onions (0.91 percent) and among non-food items electricity for Q1 (9.01 percent) and LPG (2.13 percent), says the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
According to the latest data, the SPI went down from 147.99 points during the week ended March 4, 2021 to 147.14 points during the week under review.
During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 07 (13.73 percent) items decreased, 26 (50.98 percent) items increased and 18 (35.29 percent) items remained constant, said the PBS in weekly SPI data.
The PBS data further stated that the year-on-year trend depicts an increase of 13.48 percent with most of the items increased mainly chilies powder (143.07 percent), electricity for Q1 (69.19 percent), eggs (65.38 percent), chicken (46.41 percent), gents sandal (33.37 percent), match box (30.47 percent), mustard oil (26.99 percent), gents sponge chaapel (25.13 percent), sugar (22.86 percent), washing soap (20.78 percent) and long cloth (19.58 percent) while a major decrease was observed in the price of onions (50.82 percent), garlic (40.42 percent), potatoes (12.81 percent), LPG (11.69 percent), tomatoes (6.59 percent) and diesel (4.98 percent).
The SPI for the consumption groups up to Rs17,733, from Rs17,733 to Rs22,888, Rs22,889 to Rs29,517and above Rs44,175 per month decreased by 0.95 percent, 1.54 percent, 0.41 percent, and 0.15 percent, respectively and for Rs29,518 to Rs44,175 it increased by 0.02 percent.
The commodities, which recorded increase in their average prices include eggs (10.78 percent), tomatoes (7.01 percent), bananas (3.83 percent), lawn printed Gul Ahmed/al Karam (2.33 percent), potatoes (2.31 percent), sugar (1.74 percent), milk fresh (1.37 percent), shirting (1.36 percent), long cloth 57" Gul Ahmed/al Karam (1.27 percent), georgette (1.24 percent), curd (1.12 percent), wheat flour bag 20 kg (1.03 percent), pulse mash (0.80 percent), cooked daal (0.59 percent), rice basmati broken (0.53 percent), cooked beef (0.48 percent), pulse gram (0.20 percent), tea prepared (0.14 percent), rice irri-6/9 (0.12 percent), cigarettes capstan 20's packet each (0.11 percent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib 2.5 kg tin each (0.08 percent), powdered milk (0.05 percent), beef with bone (0.04 percent), pulse moong (0.02 percent), mutton (0.02 percent) and mustard oil (0.01 percent).
According to the PBS, decrease was observed in the price of electricity charges for Q1 per unit (9.01 percent), garlic (6.64 percent), chicken farm broiler (2.96 percent), LPG 11.67 kg cylinder each (2.13 percent), onions (0.91 percent), gur (0.69 percent), and pulse masoor (0.49 percent).
The items of prices which remained unchanged during the period under review include bread plain, cooking oil Dalda or other similar brand (SN), 5 litre tin each, vegetable ghee, salt powdered, chilies powder, tea Lipton Yellow Label, gents sandal Bata pair, gents sponge chappal Bata pair, ladies sandal Bata pair, gas charges, energy saver Philips, match box, petrol super, hi-speed diesel per liter, and telephone call charges.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021