ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the week ended July 15, 2021 recorded an increase of 0.41 percent due to increase in the prices of tomatoes (8.18 percent), onions (6.96 percent), cooking oil (3.89 percent), sugar (3.02 percent), garlic (2.74 percent), vegetable ghee 2.5kg (2.55 percent), potatoes (2.41 percent), vegetable ghee 1kg (2.31 percent), rice basmati broken (6.06 percent), and LPG (1.12 percent), says the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

The year-on-year trend depicts, increase of 12.75 percent with most of the items increased mainly electricity for Q1 (60.81 percent), LPG (39.19 percent), chilies powder (37.29 percent), mustard oil (36.48 percent), gents sandal (33.37 percent), vegetable ghee 1kg (30.48 percent), cooking oil (29.41 percent), vegetable ghee 2.5kg (28.23 percent), gents sponge chappal (25.13 percent), match box (24.18 percent), eggs (22.18 percent), sugar (21.53 percent), and washing soap (21.42 percent), while a major decrease was observed in the prices of moong (19.93 percent), tomatoes (16.56 percent), potatoes (16.22 percent), chicken (7.16 percent), and garlic (4.61 percent)

According to the latest data, the SPI went up from 150.03 points during the week ended July 8, 2021 to 150.65 percent during the week under review.

The SPI for the consumption groups up to Rs17,733, from Rs17,733 to Rs22,888, Rs22,889 to Rs29,517, Rs29,518 to Rs44,175 and for above Rs44,175 increased by 0.48 percent, 0.43 percent, 0.43 percent, 0.40 percent and 0.49 percent respectively.

During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 23 (45.1 percent) items increased, seven (13.7 percent) items decreased, and 21 (41.2 percent) items remained constant, said the PBS in weekly SPI data.

The commodities, which recorded increase in their average prices include tomatoes (8.18 percent), onions (6.96 percent), LPG (6.06 percent), cooking oil Dalda or other similar brand (sn), 5 litre tin each (3.89 percent), sugar (3.02 percent), garlic (2.74 percent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib 2.5kg tin each (2.55 percent), potatoes (2.41 percent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib or other superior quality 1kg pouch each (2.31 percent), eggs (1.86 percent), rice basmati broken (1.12 percent), mustard oil (1.02 percent), gur (0.92 percent), beef with bone (0.79 percent), match box (0.59 percent), wheat flour bag 20kg (0.47 percent), mutton (0.34 percent), powdered milk Nido (0.26 percent), milk fresh (0.26 percent), curd (0.17 percent), tea prepared ordinary (0.14 percent), cooked beef (0.14 percent), and rice irri-6/9 (0.05 percent).

According to the PBS, the decrease was observed in the prices of bananas (7.15), chicken farm (3.43 percent), moong (0.52 percent), electricity charges for Q1 per unit (0.50 percent), maash (0.30 percent), pulse gram (0.23 percent), and masoor (0.01 percent).

The prices of commodities which remained constant included bread plain, salt powdered, chilies powder, tea Lipton Yellow Label, cigarettes, shirting, lawn printed Gul Ahmed/Al Karam, Georgette, gents sandal Bata pair, gas charges petrol super, hi-speed diesel, and telephone call charges.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021