ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI)-based inflation for the week ended May 18, 2023, decreased by 0.16 percent due to a decline in the prices of food items including onions (9.04 per cent), garlic (1.76 per cent), sugar (1.42 per cent), wheat flour (1.40 per cent), vegetable ghee 2.5kg (0.63 per cent) and non-food items diesel (10.38 per cent), petrol (4.24 per cent), LPG (3.02 per cent), and firewood (0.89 per cent), the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) said.
The year-on-year trend depicts an increase of 45.72 per cent, cigarettes (138.50 per cent), tea Lipton (114.93per cent), potatoes (114.69 per cent), gas charges for q1 (108.38 per cent), bananas (104.44per cent), gents sponge chappal (100.33 per cent), wheat flour (90.77per cent), rice basmati broken (86.30 per cent), eggs (85.86 per cent), rice irri-6/9 (80.44 per cent), petrol (79.85 per cent), diesel (78.68 per cent), moong (66.79 per cent), bread (63.17 per cent), and maash (57.06 per cent), while a decrease is observed in the prices of tomatoes (38.30 per cent), onions (30.18 per cent) and chilies powdered (6.48 per cent).
The SPI for the week under review was recorded at 255.15 points against 255.53 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, 13 (25.49 per cent) items decreased and 15 (29.41 per cent) items remained stable.
The SPI for the consumption group up to Rs17,732, Rs17,732-22,888 and Rs22,889-29,517 increased by 0.05per cent, 0.04per cent and 0.01per cent respectively while for Rs29,518-44,175 and above Rs44,175 consumption group decreased by 0.04 per cent and 0.29 percent respectively.
The items, which recorded an increase in their average prices during the week over the previous include chicken (7.51per cent), tea Lipton Yellow Label 190 gm packet each (4.53per cent), gur (2.79per cent), eggs (2.29per cent), energy saver (2.22per cent), tomatoes (2.11per cent), toilet soap Lifebuoy (1.94per cent), tea prepared (1.09per cent), curd (1.08per cent), powdered milk Nido(0.98per cent), rice irri-6/9 (0.97per cent), moong (0.89per cent), potatoes (0.78per cent), maash (0.75per cent), rice basmati broken (0.70per cent), milk fresh (0.68per cent), shirting (0.25per cent), beef with bone (0.25per cent), bread plain (0.21per cent), mutton (0.20per cent), cooked beef (0.16per cent), bananas (0.08per cent), and cooked daal (0.02per cent).
The commodities, which recorded a decrease in their average include hi-speed diesel (10.38per cent), onions (9.04per cent), petrol super (4.24per cent), LPG (3.02per cent), garlic (1.76per cent),sugar (1.42per cent), wheat flour bag 20 kg (1.40per cent), firewood whole 40kg (0.89per cent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib 2.5kg tin each (0.63per cent), mustard oil (0.48per cent), masoor (0.40per cent), pulse gram (0.12per cent) and vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib or other superior quality 1kg pouch each (0.11per cent).
The commodities, prices of which, remained unchanged included cooking oil Dalda, salt powdered, chilies powder, cigarettes capstan, long cloth 57” Gul Ahmed/Al Karam, lawn printed Gul Ahmed/Al Karam, Georgette, gents sandal Bata pair, gents sponge chappal Bata pair, ladies sandal Bata pair, electricity charges, gas charges, Sufi washing soap, matchbox, and telephone call charges.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023