ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the week ended August 11, 2022, recorded a decrease of 0.08 percent due to a decline in the prices of food items including onions (10.18 percent), bananas (2.71 percent), chicken (1.03 percent), vegetable ghee 1kg (0.79 percent) and non-food item including LPG (1.10 percent), says the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

The year-on-year trend depicts an increase of 37.69 percent mainly due to an increase in the prices of Masoor (111.90 percent), diesel (109.15 percent), onions (90.05 percent), petrol (88.94 percent), cooking oil 5 litre (73.50 percent), mustard oil (72.31 percent), vegetable ghee 1kg (70.54 percent), vegetable ghee 2.5kg (67.61 percent), washing soap (61.92 percent), pulse gram (59.51 percent), chicken (57.14 percent), electricity for Q1 (52.61 percent), gents sponge Chappal (52.21 percent), pulse Mash (51.08 percent) and garlic (37.88 percent), while a decrease observed in the prices of chillies powder (43.42 percent), sugar (16.52 percent), and Gur (2.60 percent).

According to the latest data, the SPI went down from 207.17 percent during the week ended August 4, 2022, to 209.01 percent during the week under review.

The SPI for the consumption groups up to Rs17,732, Rs17,733 to Rs22,888, Rs22,889 to Rs29,517, Rs29,518 to Rs44,175 and for above Rs44,175 decreased by 0.12 percent, 0.10 percent, 0.09 percent, 0.08 percent and 0.07 percent respectively.

During the week, out of 51 items, out of 51 items, prices of 26 (50.98 percent) items increased, 09 (17.65 percent) items decreased and 16 (31.37 percent) items remained stable, says the PBS.

The items the prices of which increased included tomatoes (10.35 percent), salt powdered (National/Shan) 800gm packet each (3.73 percent), eggs (3.67 percent), Maash (3.65 percent), Moong (3.18 percent), Masoor (2.13 percent), garlic (2.03 percent), toilet soap Lifebuoy (1.58 percent), firewood whole 40kg (1.36 percent), tea Lipton Yellow Label (1.29 percent), matchbox (0.76 percent), pulse gram (0.76 percent), cooked Daal (0.74 percent), powdered milk Nido 390gm polybag each (0.52 percent), potatoes (0.45 percent), Georgette (0.43 percent), curd (0.39 percent), energy saver (0.38 percent), mutton (0.34 percent), Gur (0.32 percent), shirting (0.16 percent), beef with bone (0.15 percent), Sufi washing soap (0.12 percent), cooked beef (0.12 percent), milk fresh (0.08 percent), and wheat flour bag 20 kg (0.04 percent).

The items which registered a decrease in prices include onions (10.18 percent), bananas (2.71 percent), LPG (1.10 percent), chicken farm broiler (1.03 percent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib or other superior quality 1kg pouch each (0.79 percent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib 2.5kg tin each (0.55 percent), mustard oil (0.36 percent), rice basmati broken (0.33 percent) and cooking oil Dalda or other similar brand (sn), 5 litre tin each (0.17 percent).

The items, prices of which remained unchanged included rice irri-6/9 (Sindh/Punjab), bread plain (small size), sugar, chilies powder National, tea prepared, cigarettes Capstan 20’s packet each, long cloth 57” Gul Ahmed/Al Karam, lawn printed Gul Ahmed/Al Karam, gents sandal Bata pair, gents sponge Chappal Bata pair, ladies sandal Bata pair, electricity charges, gas charges, petrol super, hi-speed diesel, and telephone call charges.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022