ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Index (SPI) for the week ended on February 22, 2024 increased by 0.04 per cent due to an increase in the prices of tomatoes (22.71 per cent), bananas (7.40 per cent), diesel (3.02 per cent), chicken (1.22 per cent), and petrol (one per cent), says Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

The year-on-year trend depicts an increase of 30.68 per cent mainly due to an increase in the prices of gas charges for q1 (480.00 per cent), tomatoes (199.93 per cent), chilies powder (81.74 per cent), wheat flour (65.29 per cent), gents sponge chappal (58.05 per cent), gents sandal (53.37 per cent), sugar (50.84 per cent), gur (48.96 per cent), gur (48.96 per cent), salt powdered (39.97 per cent), garlic (36.31 per cent) energy saver (34.17 per cent) and while a decrease is observed in the prices of bananas (17.73 per cent), vegetable ghee 1kg (17.26 per cent), mustard oil (15.98 per cent), cooking oil 5 litre (13.66 per cent), vegetable ghee 2.5 kg (12.02 per cent), LPG (9.42 per cent), and eggs (5.33 per cent).

During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 23 (45.10 per cent) items increased, eight (15.69 per cent) items decreased and 20 (39.21 per cent) items remained stable.

Weekly SPI inflation jumps 34.25pc YoY

The SPI for the week under review was recorded at 315.31 points against 315.18 points registered in the previous week, according to the PBS data released on Friday.

The SPI for the consumption group up to Rs17,732, Rs17,732-Rs22,888 and Rs22,889-Rs29,517 decreased by 0.08 per cent, 0.03 per cent and 0.01 per cent respectively while it increased for Rs29,518-Rs44,175 and above Rs44,175 by 0.02 per cent and 0.09 per cent respectively.

The items prices of which increased during the period review include tomatoes (22.71 per cent), bananas (7.40 per cent), hi-speed diesel (3.02 per cent), chicken (1.22 per cent), petrol super (1 per cent), sugar (0.87 per cent), mutton (0.86 per cent), beef with bone (0.74 per cent), curd (0.71 per cent), Moong (0.54 per cent), Masoor (0.36 per cent), rice irri-6/9 (0.22 per cent), firewood whole 40kg (0.20 per cent), tea Lipton Yellow Label 190 gm packet each (0.17 per cent), toilet soap Lifebuoy (0.14 per cent), Georgette (0.14 per cent), tea prepared (0.14 per cent), energy saver (0.11 per cent), Gur (0.11 per cent), Maash (0.09 per cent), garlic (0.08 per cent), pulse gram (0.07 per cent), and milk fresh (0.04 per cent).

The items prices of which decreased during the period review include onions (14.42 per cent), eggs (11.19 per cent), LPG (1.82 per cent), cooking oil Dalda or other similar brand (sn), 5 litre tin each (0.75 per cent), wheat flour bag 20kg (0.36 per cent), mustard oil (0.33 per cent), potatoes (0.23 per cent) and vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib or other superior quality 1kg pouch each (0.11 per cent).

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024