ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) based inflation for the week ended February 16, 2023, recorded an increase of 2.89 percent due to an increase in the prices of food items including cooking oil 5 litre (8.65 percent), vegetable ghee 1kg (8.02 percent), bananas (8.01 percent), chicken (7.49 percent), vegetable ghee 2.5 kgs (6.76 percent) and non-food items including petrol (8.82 percent), diesel (6.49 percent),and cigarettes (6.18 percent), says the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
The year-on-year trend depicts an increase of 38.42per cent mainly due to an increase in the prices of onions (433.44 per cent), chicken (101.86 per cent), diesel (81.36 per cent), eggs (81.22 per cent), rice irri-6/9 (74.12 per cent), rice basmati broken (73.05 per cent), petrol (69.87 per cent), moong (67.98 per cent), bananas (67.68 per cent), tea Lipton (63.89 per cent), pulse gram (56.93 per cent), bread (55.36 per cent), maash (53.42 per cent), LPG (52.68 per cent), and cigarettes (50.02 per cent), while decrease is observed in the prices of tomatoes (65.30 per cent), electricity for q1 (7.50 per cent), and chillies powdered (7.42 per cent).
The SPI for the week under review in the above mentioned group was recorded at 234.77 points against 228.17 points registered in the previous week, according to the latest PBS data released on Friday. During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 34 (66.67 per cent) items increased, 05 (9.80 per cent) items decreased and12 (23.53 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 consumption group increased by 2.45per cent, 2.73per cent, 2.79per cent, 2.88per cent and 2.94per cent, respectively.
The items, which recorded increase in their average prices during the week over previous include petrol super (8.82per cent), cooking oil Dalda or other similar brand (sn), 5 litre tin each (8.65per cent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib or other superior quality 1 kg pouch each (8.02per cent), bananas (8.01per cent), chicken (7.49per cent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib 2.5 kg tin each (6.76per cent), hi-speed diesel (6.49per cent), cigarettes Capstan (6.18per cent), rice irri-6/9 (3.56per cent), mustard oil (3.24per cent), bread plain (3.12per cent), potatoes (2.75per cent), cooked beef (2.71per cent), rice basmati broken (2.68per cent), cooked daal(2.57per cent), tea prepared (2.18per cent), maash (2.03per cent), energy saver (1.75per cent), powdered milk Nido(1.69per cent), curd (1.61per cent), Sufi washing soap (1.58per cent), LPG (1.34per cent), moong (0.90per cent), mutton (0.83per cent), beef with bone (0.74per cent), firewood whole 40 kg (0.72per cent),long cloth 57” Gul Ahmed/Al Karam(0.69per cent), milk fresh (0.62per cent), masoor (0.52per cent), sugar (0.45per cent), pulse gram (0.40per cent), shirting (0.36per cent), gur (0.08per cent), and salt powdered (0.06per cent).
The commodities, which recorded a decrease in their average prices included tomatoes (14.27per cent), onions (13.48per cent), eggs (4.24per cent), garlic (2.10per cent), and wheat flour bag 20 kg (0.10).
The commodities, prices of which, remained unchanged included chilies powder National, tea Lipton Yellow Label, 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, telephone call, and toilet soap Lifebuoy.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023