ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Index-based inflation for the week ended May 23, 2024, decreased by 0.34 per cent due to a decline in the prices of garlic (7.87 per cent), chicken (5.92 per cent), wheat flour (4.66 per cent), LPG (3.23 per cent), onions (1.99 per cent), eggs (1.22 per cent), rice basmati broken (1.12 per cent), and masoor (0.95 per cent), says Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

The year-on-year trend depicts an increase of 21.31 per cent mainly due to an increase in the prices of gas charges for q1 (570 per cent), onions (88.26 per cent), chilies powder (69.71 per cent), garlic (53.46 per cent), tomatoes (38.63 per cent), salt powder (32.72 per cent), shirting (30.39 per cent), gents sandal (25.01 per cent), beef (23.70 per cent), energy saver (22.48 per cent), pulse mash (21.79 per cent) and sugar (20.18 per cent) while a decrease is observed in the prices of bananas (38.32 per cent), wheat flour (30.82 per cent), chicken (23.18 per cent), cooking oil 5 litre (18.83 per cent), vegetable ghee 1kg (16.07 per cent), vegetable ghee 2.5kg (16.02 per cent), mustard oil (12.49 per cent), LPG (10.92 per cent), and eggs (7.62 per cent).

During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 12 (23.53 per cent) items increased, 18 (35.29 per cent) items decreased and 21 (41.18 per cent) items remained stable.

The SPI for the week under review was recorded at 308.19 points against 309.25 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, Rs22,889-Rs29,517, Rs29,518-Rs44,175 and above Rs44,175 decreased by 0.38 per cent, 0.39 per cent, 0.35 per cent, 0.36 per cent, and 0.33 per cent respectively.

The items, prices of which, increased during the period under review include beef with bone (0.49 per cent), energy saver Philips (0.44 per cent), pulse gram (0.42 per cent), powdered milk Nido390gm polybag each (0.37 per cent), tea prepared (0.30 per cent), mutton (0.25 per cent), gur (0.22 per cent), shirting (0.17 per cent), cigarettes Capstan 20’s packet each (0.13 per cent), curd (0.11 per cent), milk fresh (0.06 per cent), and maash (0.01 per cent).

Items prices of which decreased during the period under review include garlic (7.87 per cent), chicken (5.92 per cent), wheat flour bag 20kg (4.66 per cent), LPG (3.23 per cent), onions (1.99 per cent), eggs (1.22 per cent), rice basmati broken (1.12 per cent), masoor (0.95 per cent), rice irri-6/9 (0.84 per cent), moong (0.57 per cent), tomatoes (0.47 per cent), bread plain (0.38 per cent), bananas (0.34 per cent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib 2.5kg tin each (0.26 per cent), sugar (0.25 per cent), mustard oil (0.24 per cent), potatoes (0.07 per cent), and firewood whole 40kg (0.04 per cent).

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024