ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) based inflation for the week ended March 30, 2023, recorded a decrease of 0.36per cent due to a decrease in the prices of food items including onions (15.10 per cent), chicken (11.96 per cent), tomatoes (10.26 per cent), cooking oil 5 litre (1.24 per cent), vegetable ghee 1 kg (1.07 per cent), pulse gram (0.42 per cent) and non-food items including LPG (1.35 per cent) and firewood (0.35 per cent), says the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
The year-on-year trend depicts an increase of 45.36 per cent mainly due to increase in the prices of cigarettes (165.88 per cent), onions (127.07 per cent), wheat flour (123.22 per cent), gas charges for q1 (108.38 per cent), diesel (102.84 per cent), tea Lipton (98.08 per cent), eggs (96.67 per cent), bananas (94.89 per cent), rice basmati broken (83.65 per cent), petrol (81.17 per cent), rice irri-6/9 (79.17 per cent), pulse moong (67.85 per cent) and potatoes (56.44 per cent), while a decrease is observed in the prices of tomatoes (10.88 per cent) and chillies powdered (9.56 per cent).
The SPI for the week under review was recorded at 249.75 points against 250.66 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, 11 (21.57 per cent) items decreased and 17 (33.33 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 consump
tion group decreased by 0.42per cent, 0.41per cent, 0.37per cent, 0.37per cent, and 0.34per cent respectively.
The items, which recorded an increase in their average prices during the week over previous include bananas (7.54per cent), eggs (7.22per cent), mutton (2.39per cent), sugar (2.12per cent), wheat flour bag 20 kg (1.91per cent), tea Lipton Yellow Label 190 gm packet each (1.79per cent), Georgette (1.32per cent), shirting (1.32per cent), gur (1.32per cent), curd (1.23per cent), rice basmati broken (1.15per cent), milk fresh (1.12per cent), beef with bone (1.02per cent), garlic (0.75per cent), Sufi washing soap 250 gm cake each (0.73per cent), cooked beef (0.60per cent), masoor (0.47per cent), potatoes (0.45per cent), rice irri-6/9 (0.42per cent), lawn printed Gul Ahmed/Al Karam(0.33per cent), cooked daal (0.11per cent), maash (0.03per cent) and powdered milk Nido390 gm polybag each (0.01per cent).
The commodities, which recorded a decrease in their average prices onions (15.10per cent), chicken (11.96per cent), tomatoes (10.26per cent), LPG (1.35per cent), cooking oil Dalda or other similar brand (sn), 5-litre tin each (1.24per cent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib or other superior quality 1 kg pouch each (1.07per cent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib 2.5 kg tin each (0.77per cent), pulse gram (0.42per cent), firewood whole 40 kg (0.35per cent), and moong (0.22per cent).
The commodities, prices of which, remained unchanged included bread plain, salt powdered, chilies powder, tea prepared, cigarettes capstan 20’s packet each, long cloth 57” Gul Ahmed/Al Karam, gents sandal Bata pair, gents sponge chappal Bata pair, ladies sandal Bata pair, electricity charges, gas charges, energy saver, matchbox, petrol super, hi-speed diesel, telephone call charges, and toilet soap Lifebuoy.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023