ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the week ended July 29, 2021 recorded an increase of 0.03 percent due to increase in food items including tomatoes (6.64 percent), eggs (3.52 percent), vegetable ghee (2.52 percent), onions (2.34 percent), and sugar (1.49 percent); and non-food items including LPG (9.58 percent), petrol (4.73 percent), and diesel (2.30 percent), says the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
The year-on-year trend depicts increase of 12.20 percent with most of the items increased mainly electricity for Q1 (60.81 percent), LPG (53.50 percent), chilies powder (37.29 percent), mustard oil (36.17 percent), gents sandal (33.37 percent), vegetable ghee 1kg (32.84 percent), vegetable ghee 2.5kg (31.46 percent), cooking oil (31 percent), gents sponge chappal (25.13 percent), and eggs (24.78 percent), while a major decrease was observed in the prices of tomatoes (21.83 percent), potatoes (20.45 percent), moong (19.73 percent), and chicken (8.04 percent).
According to the latest data, the SPI went up from 150.65 percent during the week ended July 22, 2021 to 150.70 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 and Rs29,518 to Rs44,175 decreased by 0.02 percent, 0.09 percent, 0.08 percent, and 0.09 percent respectively; however, for above Rs44,175, it increased by 0.15 percent.
During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 23 (45.1 percent) items increased, six (11.8 percent) items decreased, and 22 (43.1 percent) items remained constant, said the PBS in weekly SPI data.
The commodities, which recorded increase in their average prices include LPG (9.58 percent), tomatoes (6.64 percent), petrol super (4.73 percent), eggs (3.52 percent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib 2.5kg tin each (2.52 percent), onions (2.34 percent), hi-speed diesel (2.30 percent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib or other superior quality 1kg pouch each (1.81 percent), sugar (1.49 percent), cooking oil Dalda or other similar brand (sn), 5-litre tin each (1.23 percent), Sufi washing soap (0.95 percent), garlic (0.65 percent), wheat flour bag 20kg (0.58 percent), gur (0.57 percent), toilet soap Lifebuoy (0.48 percent), mustard oil (0.41 percent), rice Basmati broken (0.41 percent), beef with bone (0.33 percent), powdered milk Nido 390gm polybag each (0.27 percent), mutton (0.20 percent), masoor (0.08 percent), milk fresh (0.06 percent), and curd (0.05 percent).
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According to the PBS, the decrease was observed in the prices of chicken (18.35 percent), bananas (1.32 percent), moong (1.32 percent), potatoes (1.23 percent), maash (0.58 percent), and pulse gram (0.06 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, electricity charges for Q1, gas charges, firewood whole, energy saver, matchbox, and telephone call charges.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021