ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) based inflation for the week ended March 16, 2023, recorded an increase of 0.96 per cent due to an increase in the prices of food items including tomatoes (18.06per cent), tea Lipton (9.26per cent), potatoes (4.52per cent), bananas (4per cent), sugar (2.70per cent), wheat flour (2.40per cent), cooking oil 5 litre (1.20per cent) and non-food items, lawn (5.77per cent), diesel (4.65per cent) and petrol (1.84per cent), says the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
The year-on-year trend depicts an increase of 45.64per cent, onions (233.89per cent), cigarettes (165.86per cent), gas charges for q1 (108.38per cent), diesel (102.84per cent), tea Lipton (81.29per cent), petrol (81.17per cent), rice irri-6/9 (78.75per cent), rice basmati broken (78.10per cent), bananas (77.84per cent), eggs (72.19per cent), moong (69.44per cent), wheat flour (56.27per cent), and bread (55.36per cent), while decrease is observed in the prices of tomatoes (21.87per cent) and chillies powdered (7.42per cent).
The SPI for the week under review was recorded at 246.22 points against 243.87 points registered in the previous week, according to the latest PBS data released on Friday.
During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 28 (54.90per cent) items increased, 11 (21.57per cent) items decreased and 12 (23.53per 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 0.59 per cent, 0.66 per cent, 0.78 per cent, 0.83 per cent, and 1.40 per cent respectively.
The items, which recorded increase in their average prices during the week over previous include tomatoes (18.06 per cent), tea Lipton Yellow Label (9.26 per cent), lawn printed Gul Ahmed/Al Karam(5.77 per cent), hi-speed diesel (4.65 per cent), potatoes (4.52 per cent), bananas (4 per cent), match box (3.01 per cent), shirting (2.80 per cent), sugar (2.70 per cent), wheat flour bag 20kg (2.40 per cent), salt powdered (2.17 per cent), long cloth 57” Gul Ahmed/Al Karam(two per cent), gur (1.97 per cent), Georgette (1.95 per cent), petrol super (1.84 per cent), cooking oil Daldaor other similar brand (sn), 5 litre tin each (1.20 per cent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib 2.5kg tin each (1.16 per cent), rice basmati broken (1.01 per cent), rice irri-6/9 (0.87 per cent), cooked daal (0.65 per cent), milk fresh (0.48 per cent), Sufi washing soap (0.37 per cent), tea prepared (0.36 per cent), beef with bone (0.36 per cent), cooked beef (0.31 per cent), powdered milk Nido(0.21 per cent), curd (0.19 per cent), and energy saver (0.01 per cent).
The commodities, which recorded a decrease in their average prices included onions (15.91 per cent), chicken (5.97 per cent), garlic (5.73 per cent), masoor (2.27 per cent), eggs (2.26 per cent), LPG (1.90 per cent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib or other superior quality 1kg pouch each (1.39 per cent), pulse gram (1.24 per cent), maash (1.08 per cent), moong (0.84 per cent), and mustard oil (0.64 per cent).
The commodities, prices of which, remained unchanged included bread plain, mutton, chilies powder National, cigarettes Capstan 20’s packet each, gents sandal Bata pair, gents sponge chappal Bata pair, ladies sandal Bata pair, electricity charges for q1, gas charges, firewood whole 40kg, telephone call charges, and toilet soap Lifebuoy.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023