ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI)-based inflation for the week ended May 25, 2023, decreased by 0.42 percent due to a decline in the prices of food items including chicken (8.91per cent), wheat flour (3.33per cent), eggs (3.03 per cent), garlic (2.83per cent), tomatoes (2.61per cent), onions (2.22per cent), bananas (2.04per cent), moong (1.51per cent), cooking oil 5 litre (1.01per cent) and non-food item LPG (3.44per cent), says the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
The year-on-year trend depicts an increase of 45.49per cent mainly due to an increase in the prices of cigarettes (138.50per cent), tea Lipton (114.93 per cent), wheat flour (110.17per cent), gas charges for q1 (108.38per cent), gents sponge chappal (100.33per cent), bananas (99.58 per cent), potatoes (98.10 per cent), rice basmati broken (81.24 per cent), rice irri-6/9 (79.96 per cent), petrol (79.85 per cent), diesel (78.68 per cent), eggs (69.55 per cent), moong (63.18 per cent), bread (63.17 per cent) and maash (55.93 per cent), while a decrease is observed in the prices of tomatoes (43.49 per cent) and onions (33.74 per cent).
The SPI for the week under review was recorded at 254.05 points against 255.15 points registered in the previous week, according to the latest PBS data released on Friday.
During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 18 (35.30 per cent) items increased, 16 (31.37 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 consumption group decreased by 0.34 per cent, 0.38per cent, 0.39per cent, 0.41 and 0.44 per cent respectively.
The items, which recorded an increase in their average prices during the week over previous include energy saver (4.91per cent), long cloth 57” Gul Ahmed/Al Karam(2.75per cent), rice basmati broken (1.86per cent), cooked beef (1.32per cent), mutton (1.22per cent), milk fresh (1.20per cent), shirting (1.14per cent), beef with bone (1.03per cent), rice irri-6/9 (0.97per cent), gur (0.94per cent), curd (0.94per cent), powdered milk Nido(0.65per cent), maash (0.60per cent), Georgette (0.59per cent), lawn printed Gul Ahmed/Al Karam(0.50per cent), cooked daal (0.30per cent), sugar (0.08per cent) and potatoes (0.05per cent).
The commodities, which recorded a decrease in their average include chicken (8.91per cent), LPG (3.44per cent), wheat flour bag 20 kg (3.33per cent), eggs (3.03per cent), garlic (2.83per cent), tomatoes (2.61per cent), onions (2.22per cent), bananas (2.04per cent), pulse moong (1.51per cent), masoor (1.26per cent), cooking oil Dalda or other similar brand (sn), 5 litre tin each (1.01per cent), pulse gram (0.79per cent), mustard oil (0.63per cent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib or other superior quality 1 kg pouch each (0.42per cent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib 2.5 kg tin each (0.31per cent) and firewood whole 40 kg (0.27per cent).
The commodities, prices of which, remained unchanged included bread plain, salt powdered, chilies powder National, tea Lipton Yellow Label, tea prepared, cigarettes Capstan, gents sandal Bata pair, gents sponge chappal Bata pair, ladies sandal Bata pair, electricity charges, gas charges, Sufi washing soap, matchbox, petrol super, hi-speed diesel, telephone call charges and toilet soap Lifebuoy.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023