ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the week ended December 2, 2021 recorded a decrease of 0.48 percent due to decrease in the prices of tomatoes (16.57 percent), onions (7.74 percent), chicken (7.68 percent), LPG (2.43 percent), sugar (1.51 percent), eggs (1.43 percent), chilies powdered (0.88 percent), potatoes (0.67 percent), and wheat flour (0.58 percent), says the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
The year-on-year trend depicts increase of 18.35 percent mainly due to increase in electricity for Q1 (75.32 percent), LPG (70.10 percent), cooking oil 5 litre (60.53 percent), vegetable ghee 1kg (58.45 percent), mustard oil (56.73 percent), vegetable ghee 2.5 kg (56.53 percent), petrol (44.35 percent), washing soap (43.51 percent), diesel (34.93 percent), gents sandal (33.37 percent), and chilies powdered (33 percent), while major decrease observed in the prices of onions (37.63 percent), moong (26.88 percent), potatoes (20.08 percent), tomatoes (17.45 percent), and chicken (2.05 percent).
According to the latest data, the SPI went down from 168.16 percent during the week ended November 25, 2021 to 167.36 percent during the week under review.
The SPI for the consumption groups up to Rs17,733, Rs17,733 to Rs22,888, Rs22,889 to Rs29,517, Rs29,518 to Rs44,175 and for above Rs44,175 decreased by 0.47 percent, 0.50 percent, 0.47 percent, 0.48 percent, and 0.47 percent, respectively.
During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 21 (41.18 percent) items increased, 11 (21.57 percent) items decreased, and 19 (37.25 percent) items remained stable, said the PBS in weekly SPI data.
The commodities, which recorded increase in their average prices include bananas (3.82 percent), masoor (2.60 percent), maash (2.26 percent), moong (2.10 percent), cooking oil Dalda or other similar brand (sn), 5 litre tin each (1.95 percent), Sufi washing soap 250gm cake each (1.80 percent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib or other superior quality 1kg pouch each (1.44 percent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib 2.5kg tin each (0.97 percent), rice irri-6/9 (0.97 percent), pulse gram (0.62 percent), bread plain (0.62 percent), mustard oil (0.52 percent), tea Lipton Yellow Label (0.49 percent), curd (0.48 percent), tea prepared ordinary per cup (0.34 percent), rice basmati broken (0.30 percent), beef with bone (0.23 percent), toilet soap (0.22 percent), milk fresh (0.22 percent), firewood whole 40kg (0.18 percent), and mutton (0.17 percent).
The commodities, which recorded decrease in their prices during the period under review include tomatoes (16.57 percent), onions (7.74 percent), chicken (7.68 percent), LPG (2.43 percent), sugar (1.51 percent), eggs (1.43 percent), chilies powder (0.88 percent), potatoes (0.67 percent), wheat flour bag 20kg (0.58 percent), gur (0.45 percent), and garlic (0.29 percent).
According to the PBS data, sugar was available at Rs92.34 per kg. However, contrary to the PBS data, the market prices, noted by Business Recorder, the commodity was available at Rs4,700 per 50kg bag in wholesale market i.e. Rs94 per kg, which in retail was available at Rs100-103 per kg.
Further, according to the PBS data, wheat flour was available at Rs59 per kg or Rs1,180 per 20kg bag. However, the commodity was available at Rs73 per kg in the market.
The commodities which prices remained unchanged during the period included powdered milk, salt powdered, cooked beef, cooked daal, cigarettes Capstan 20’s packet each, long cloth 57” Gul Ahmed/Al Karam, shirting, lawn printed Gul Ahmed/Al Karam, Georgette, gents sandal Bata pair, gents sponge chappal Bata pair, ladies sandal Bata pair, electricity charges, gas charges, energy saver Philips, match box, petrol super, hi-speed diesel, and telephone call charges.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021