ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Index (SPI)-based inflation for the week ended September 12, 2024, increased by 0.01 percent due to an increase in the prices of tomatoes (6.62 percent), electricity charges for Q1 (4.13 percent), chicken (3.77 percent), pulse gram (2.43 percent), garlic (2.24 percent), beef (1.13 percent), mutton (0.71 percent) and milk fresh (0.11 percent), according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

The year-on-year trend depicts an increase of 14.36 percent mainly due to an increase in the prices of gas charges for Q1 (570 percent), onions (88.26 percent), pulse gram (55.76 percent), powered milk (25.72 percent), beef (25.28 percent), shirting (21.45 percent), chicken (20.10 percent), garlic (19.50 percent), pulse moong (17.05 percent), salt powder (15.94 percent), Georgette (13.21 percent) and energy saver (12.87 percent), while a major decrease is observed in the prices of wheat flour (38.54 percent), chilly powder (20.00 percent), diesel (15.64 percent), petrol (15.03 percent), sugar (13.98 percent), electricity charges for q1 (13.47 percent), cooking oil 5 litre (10.90 percent), rice basmati broken (9.99 percent), gur (8.79 percent), masoor (8.13 percent) vegetable ghee 2.5kg (6.72 percent) and LPG (1.46 percent).

During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 15 (29.41 percent) items increased, 14 (27.45 percent) items decreased and 22 (43.14 percent) items remained stable.

The SPI for the week under review was recorded at 319.28 points against 319.24 points registered in the previous week, according to the PBS data released on Friday.

The SPI for the consumption group up to Rs 17,732, Rs 17,732-Rs22,888 and Rs 22,889-Rs 29,517 increased by 0.58 percent, 0.69 percent and 0.05 percent while it decreased for the consumption group Rs 29,518-Rs 44,175 and above Rs 44,175 by 0.12 percent and 0.30 percent respectively.

The items, prices of which, increased during the period under review include tomatoes (6.62 percent), electricity charges for Q1 per unit (4.13 percent), chicken (3.77 percent), pulse gram (2.43 percent), garlic (2.24 percent), beef with bone (1.13 percent), mutton (0.71 percent), milk fresh (0.11 percent), curd (0.10 percent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib 2.5kg tin each (0.09 percent), powdered milk Nido 390gm polybag each (0.09 percent), mustard oil (0.08 percent), Georgette (0.06 percent), shirting (0.04 percent) and rice basmati broken (0.01 percent).

Items prices of which decreased during the period under review include bananas (6.04 percent), dal maash (1.33 percent), wheat flour bag 20kg (0.97 percent), LPG (0.96 percent), eggs (0.91 percent), potatoes (0.80 percent), masoor (0.59 percent), moong (0.58 percent), onions (0.44 percent), bread plain (0.42 percent), cooking oil Dalda or other similar brand (sn), 5 litre tin each (0.25 percent), Sufi washing soap (0.22 percent), gur (0.19 percent), and sugar (0.03 percent).

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024