ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI)-based inflation for the week ended April 13, 2023, recorded a decline of 0.60per cent due to a decrease in the prices of food items including tomatoes (22.43per cent), onions (15.85per cent), wheat flour (2.75per cent), garlic (1.29per cent), pulse gram (0.82per cent), and non-food items electricity charges for q1 (4.95per cent) and firewood (0.09per cent), says the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
The year-on-year trend depicts an increase of 44.61per cent mainly due to an increase in the prices of cigarettes (152.11per cent), wheat flour (126.09per cent), gas charges for q1 (108.38per cent), diesel (102.84per cent), eggs (99.37per cent), tea Lipton (97.63 per cent), bananas (90.18per cent), potatoes (87.18per cent), rice basmati broken (84.46per cent), rice irri-6/9 (81.31 per cent), petrol (81.17per cent), pulse moong (67.43per cent), pulse mash (58.54per cent) and bread plain (55.36per cent), while a decrease is observed in the prices of tomatoes (41.56per cent), chillies powdered (6.48per cent) and electricity charges for q1 (1.60per cent).
The SPI for the week under review was recorded at 250.56 points against 252.06 points registered in the previous week, according to the latest PBS data released on Friday.
During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 26 (50.98 per cent) items increased, 09 (17.65 per cent) items decreased and 16 (31.37 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 decreased by 0.69per cent, 0.84per cent, 0.58per cent, 0.44per cent, and 0.67per cent respectively.
The items, which recorded an increase in their average prices during the week over previous include potatoes (8.59per cent), LPG (4.47per cent), eggs (2.65per cent), shirting (2.39per cent), chicken (2.19per cent), Georgette (2.10per cent), Sufi washing soap (1.83per cent0, bananas (1.64per cent), maash (1.45per cent), gur (1.25per cent), cooked beef (1.15per cent), beef with bone (0.79per cent), match box each (0.78per cent), mutton (0.65per cent), salt powdered (0.59per cent), lawn printed Gul Ahmed/Al Karam(0.55per cent),masoor (0.49per cent), curd (0.45per cent),milk fresh (0.42per cent), rice irri-6/9 (0.39per cent), rice basmati broken (0.26per cent), toilet soap Lifebuoy (0.13per cent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib 2.5 kg tin each (0.10per cent), cooked daal (0.04per cent), sugar (0.03per cent) and cooking oil Dalda or other similar brands, 5 litre tin each (0.02per cent).
The commodities, which recorded a decrease in their average prices tomatoes (22.43per cent), onions (15.85per cent), electricity charges for q1 per unit (4.95per cent), wheat flour bag 20 kg (2.75per cent), garlic (1.29per cent), pulse gram (0.82per cent), pulse moong (0.35per cent), mustard oil (0.09per cent) and firewood whole (0.09per cent).
The commodities, prices of which, remained unchanged included bread plain, powdered milk Nido, vegetable ghee Dalda/ Habib or other superior quality 1 kg pouch each, chillies powder national, tea Lipton yellow label, tea prepared, cigarettes capstan 20’s packet each, gents sandal Bata pair, gents sponge chappal Bata pair, ladies sandal Bata pair, gas charges, energy saver Philips, petrol super, hi-speed diesel, and telephone call charges.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023