ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI)-based inflation for the week ended June 15, 2023, increased by 0.2 percent due to an increase in the prices of food items including sugar (4.24per cent), gur (2.42per cent), wheat flour (1.79per cent), curd (1.59per cent), pulse mash (1.25 per cent), milk fresh (1.08per cent) and non-food item washing soap (1.61per cent), says the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

The year-on-year trend depicts an increase of 34.96per cent due to an increase in the prices of cigarettes (124.38per cent), tea Lipton (114.93 per cent), wheat flour (110.08per cent), gas charges for q1 (108.38 per cent), rice basmati broken (79.11 per cent), rice irri-6/9 (78.11 per cent), potatoes (67.44 per cent), bananas (67.33 per cent), gents sponge chappal (58.05 per cent), moong (53.41 per cent), bread (52.36 per cent), maash (52.32 per cent) and salt powdered (49.65 per cent), while a decrease is observed in the prices of tomatoes (29.71 per cent), onions (17.94 per cent), diesel (3.89 per cent), and masoor (0.91 per cent).

The SPI for the week under review was recorded at 255.17 points against 254.67 points registered in the previous week, according to the latest PBS data released on Friday.

During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 19 (37.25per cent) items increased, 12 (23.53per cent) items decreased and 20 (39.22per 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 0.11 per cent, 0.11 per cent, 0.28 per cent, 0.29, and 0.20 per cent, respectively.

The items, which recorded an increase in their average prices during the week over previous include sugar (4.24per cent), toilet soap Lifebuoy (3.50per cent), gur (2.42per cent), wheat flour bag 20 kg (1.79per cent), Sufi washing soap (1.61per cent), curd (1.59per cent), maash (1.25per cent), garlic (1.15per cent), milk fresh (1.08per cent), energy saver Philips (0.97per cent), potatoes (0.75per cent), rice basmati broken (0.71per cent), salt powdered (0.56per cent), rice irri-6/9 (0.55per cent), beef with bone (0.41per cent), tomatoes (0.34per cent), mutton (0.30per cent), cooked beef (0.28per cent), and powdered milk Nido390 gm polybag (0.03per cent).

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023