ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) based inflation for the week ended on October 20, recorded an increase of 0.35 percent due to an increase in the prices of food items including salt powder (4.84 percent), bananas (3.79 percent), tomatoes (2.63 percent), powdered milk (2.22 percent), tea Lipton (1.24 percent), milk fresh (1.23 percent), cooked beef (1.21 percent) and rice irri-6/9 (1.02) and non-food items long cloth (2.21 percent) and firewood (1.57 per cent), the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) said.
The year-on-year trend depicts an increase of 27.13 per cent mainly due to an increase in the prices of onions (170.15 per cent), tomatoes (113.23 per cent), diesel (74.51 per cent), pulse gram (68.02 per cent), petrol (62.75 per cent), masoor (56.88 per cent), cooking oil 5 litre (56.31 per cent), washing soap (55.36per cent), moong (53.66per cent), vegetable ghee 2.5kg (53.29per cent), mustard oil (53.19per cent), maash (52.72 per cent), gents sponge chappal (52.21 per cent) and vegetable ghee 1kg (49.94 per cent), while decrease observed in the prices of electricity for q1 (45.61 per cent), chillies powder (41.85 per cent), sugar (12.99 per cent), and gur (2.66 per cent).
The SPI for the week under review in the above-mentioned group was recorded at 205.27 points against 204.55 points registered in the previous week, according to the latest PBS data released on Friday.
During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 23 (45.10 per cent) items increased, 14 (27.45 per cent) items decreased and 14 (27.45 per cent) items remained stable.
The SPI for the consumption group up to Rs17,732, Rs17,732-22,888, Rs22,889-29,517, Rs29,518-44,175 and for above increased by 0.35 per cent, 0.37 per cent, 0.37 per cent, 0.39 per cent and 0.32 per cent respectively.
The items, which recorded an increase in their average prices during the week over the previous week include salt powdered (4.84 per cent), bananas (3.79 per cent), tomatoes (2.63 per cent), powdered milk Nido390 gm polybag each (2.22 per cent), long cloth 57” Gul Ahmed/Al Karam(2.21 per cent), lawn printed Gul Ahmed/Al Karam(two per cent), Georgette (1.90 per cent), firewood whole 40kg (1.57 per cent), shirting (1.33 per cent), tea Lipton Yellow Label (1.24 per cent), milk fresh (1.23 per cent), cooked beef (1.21 per cent), rice irri-6/9 (1.02 per cent), toilet soap Lifebuoy (0.89 per cent), curd (0.57 per cent), cigarettes Capstan (0.52 per cent), tea prepared (0.42 per cent), chilies powder National (0.40 per cent), rice basmati broken (0.23 per cent), sugar (0.18 per cent), cooked daal (0.16 per cent), onions (0.06 per cent), and mustard oil (0.05 per cent).
The commodities, which recorded a decrease in their average prices included masoor (3.63 per cent), chicken (3.49 per cent), wheat flour bag 20kg (1.95 per cent), potatoes (1.88 per cent), maash (1.74 per cent), moong (1.13 per cent), cooking oil Dalda or other similar brand (sn), 5 litre tin each (0.93 per cent), pulse gram (0.75 per cent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib 2.5kg tin each (0.70 per cent), beef with bone (0.56 per cent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib or other superior quality (0.52 per cent), garlic (0.49 per cent), LPG (0.45 per cent), and eggs (0.11 per cent).
The commodities prices of which remained unchanged included bread plain (small size), mutton, gur, gents sandal Bata pair, gents sponge chappal Bata pair, ladies sandal Bata pair, electricity charges for q1, gas charges, energy saver, Sufi washing soap, matchbox, petrol super, hi-speed diesel, and telephone call charges.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022