ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the week ended June 2, 2022, recorded a significant increase of two percent due to an increase in the prices of food items including potatoes (9.08 percent), eggs (6.38 percent), vegetable ghee (4.59 percent), bread (2.72 percent), mustard oil (2.65 percent), masoor (2.33 percent), sugar (1.93 percent) and non-food items i.e. hi-speed diesel (20.69 percent) and petrol super (19.91 percent), says the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
The year-on-year trend depicts an increase of 20.04 percent mainly due to an increase in prices of onions (177.62 percent), tomatoes (152.57 percent), mustard oil (70.50 percent), vegetable ghee 1 kg (68.02 percent), garlic (67.44 percent), masoor (66.92 percent, petrol (64.78 percent), cooking oil 5 litre (64.72 percent), vegetable ghee 2.5 kg (62.43 percent), LPG (60.14 percent), diesel (56.45 percent) and washing soap (42.92 percent), while major decrease observed in the prices of chilies powdered (43.42 percent), pulse moong (21.62 percent), electricity charges for Q1 (11.71 percent), sugar (11.16 percent), bananas (9.95 percent), potatoes (6.89 percent) and gur (1.46 percent).
According to the latest data, the SPI went up from 174.62 percent during the week ended May 26, 2022, to 178.12 percent during the week under review.
The SPI for the consumption groups up to Rs 17,732 and Rs 17,733 to Rs 22,888, Rs 22,889 to Rs 29,517 and Rs 29,518 to Rs 44,175 and for above Rs 44,175 increased by 1.02 percent, 1.27 percent, 1.41 percent, 1.70 percent and 2.44 percent respectively.
During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 28 (54.90 percent) items increased, 05 (9.81 percent) items decreased and 18 (35.29 percent) items remained stable, says the PBS.
The items the prices of which increased included hi-speed diesel (20.69 percent), petrol super (19.91 percent), potatoes (9.08 percent), eggs (6.38 percent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib or other superior quality 1 kg pouch each (4.59 percent), bread plain (2.72 percent), mustard oil (2.65 percent), masoor (2.33 percent), cooking oil Dalda or other similar brands, 5 litre tin each (2.18 percent), pulse gram (1.99 percent), sugar (1.93 percent), cooked beef (1.69 percent), maash (1.69 percent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib 2.5 kg tin each (1.51 percent), toilet soap Lifebuoy (1.40 percent), bananas (1.35 percent), milk fresh (0.82 percent), mutton (0.81 percent), Sufi washing soap (0.62 percent), beef with bone (0.60 percent), moong (0.44 percent), rice irri-6/9 (0.43 percent), rice basmati broken (0.43 percent), powdered milk Nido 390 gm polybag each (0.34 percent), energy saver Philips (0.21 percent), curd (0.20 percent), onions (0.15 percent), and cooked daal (0.14 percent).
The items which registered a decrease in prices included chicken (4.68 percent), garlic (2.75 percent), wheat flour bag 20 kg (1.91 percent), tomatoes (1.26 percent), and LPG (0.74 percent).
The items, prices of which, remained unchanged included; gur, salt powdered, chilies powdered, tea Lipton Yellow Label, tea prepared, cigarettes Capstan, 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 for Q1, gas charges, firewood whole, matchbox, and telephone call charges.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022