ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) based inflation for the week ended January 12, recorded an increase of 0.44 per cent due to an increase in food items including wheat flour (6.75per cent), bread (4.85per cent), eggs (4.17per cent), pulse moong (4.11per cent), rice basmati broken (3.33per cent), onions (2.44per cent), pulse gram (2.39 per cent), maash (1.69per cent), masoor (1.65per cent) and non-food items LPG (5.24per cent), says the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
The year-on-year trend depicts an increase of 31.75per cent mainly due to an increase in the prices of onions (437.21 per cent), chicken (80.51 per cent), tea Lipton (65.41 per cent), eggs (61.63 per cent), diesel (60.63 per cent), wheat flour (56.11 per cent), moong (52.97 per cent), rice basmati broken (51.05 per cent), salt powdered (49.50 per cent), petrol (48.21 per cent), rice irri-6/9 (46.78 per cent) and pulse gram (45.80 per cent), while decrease is observed in the prices of chillies powdered (22.98 per cent), electricity for q1 (13.96 per cent) and Gur (0.70 per cent). The SPI for the week under review in the above mentioned group was recorded at 220.53 points against 219.56 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, 07 (13.73 per cent) items decreased and 21 (41.17 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 above Rs44,175 increased by 0.66per cent, 0.59per cent, 0.54per cent, 0.45per cent, and 0.37per cent, respectively.
The items, which recorded increase in their average prices during the week over previous include wheat flour bag 20-kg (6.75per cent), LPG (5.24per cent), bread plain (4.85per cent), garlic (4.51per cent), eggs (4.17per cent), moong (4.11per cent), rice basmati broken (3.33per cent), rice irri-6/9 (2.63per cent), onions (2.44per cent), pulse gram (2.39per cent), Sufi washing soap (1.89per cent), maash (1.69per cent), masoor (1.65per cent), mustard oil (1.56per cent), bananas (0.96per cent), energy saver (0.91per cent), Gur (0.60per cent), firewood whole 40kg (0.44per cent), powdered milk Nido390 gm polybag each (0.30per cent), tea prepared ordinary (0.14per cent), cooked daal (0.13per cent), milk fresh (0.09per cent), and mutton (0.03per cent).
The commodities, which recorded a decrease in their average prices included tomatoes (12.30per cent), potatoes (7.75per cent), chicken (4.46per cent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib or other superior quality 1kg pouch each (0.29per cent), cooking oil Dalda or other similar brand (s), 5 litre tin each (0.11per cent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib 2.5kg tin each (0.11per cent) and sugar (0.08per cent).
The commodities, prices of which, remained unchanged included beef with bone, curd, salt powdered (National/Shan), chilies powder National, tea Lipton Yellow Label, cooked beef, cigarettes Capstan, long cloth 57” Gul Ahmed/Al Karam, shirting (average quality), lawn printed Gul Ahmed/Al Karam, Georgette, gents sandal Bata pair, gents sponge chappal Bata pair, ladies sandal Bata pair, electricity charges, gas charges, matchbox, petrol super, hi-speed diesel, telephone call charges, and toilet soap Lifebuoy.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023