ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Index-based inflation for the week ended December 19, 2024, increased by 0.38 per cent due to an increase in the prices of tomatoes (56.66per cent), firewood (1.57per cent), vegetable ghee 2.5kg (0.95per cent), cooking oil 5-litre (0.79per cent) and sugar (0.23per cent), says Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
The year-on-year trend depicts an increase of 4.64per cent mainly due to an increase in the prices of tomatoes (95.54per cent), ladies sandal (75.09per cent), pulse gram (56.75per cent), potatoes (50.81per cent), moong (34.88per cent), powdered milk (25.62per cent), beef (23.84per cent), garlic (17.13per cent), gas charges for q1 ( 15.52per cent), cooked daal (15.08per cent), shirting (14.36per cent) and firewood (12.43per cent), while a major decrease is observed in the prices of wheat flour (36.15per cent), chilies powder (20.00per cent), onions (13.74per cent), eggs (12.98per cent), masoor (10.64per cent), rice basmati broken (7.62per cent), diesel (7.49per cent), electricity charges for q1 (6.96per cent), bread (6.01per cent), petrol (5.64per cent) and sugar (5.20per cent).
During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 15 (29.41per cent) items increased, 13 (25.49per cent) items decreased and 23 (45.10per cent) items remained stable.
The SPI for the week under review recorded at 324.38 points against 323.14 points during the same period of previous week.
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 increased by 0.68per cent, 0.60per cent, 0.46per cent, 0.41per cent and 0.30 per cent respectively.
The items prices of which increased during the period under review include, tomatoes (56.66 per cent), firewood whole 40kg (1.57 per cent), garlic (1.40 per cent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib2.5kg tin each (0.95 per cent), cooking oil Daldaor other similar brand (sn), 5 litre tin each (0.79 per cent), mustard oil (0.74 per cent), LPG (0.71 per cent), toilet soap Lifebuoy (0.33 per cent), gur (0.28 per cent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib or other superior quality 1kg pouch each (0.25 per cent), sugar (0.23 per cent), cooked daal (0.20 per cent), Georgette (0.13 per cent), long cloth 57” Gul Ahmed/Al Karam(0.10 per cent) and beef with bone (0.02 per cent).
The items prices of which decreased during the period under review include; onions (4.16 per cent), potatoes (3.83 per cent), eggs (2.72 per cent), hi-speed diesel (1.17 per cent), pulse gram (0.98 per cent), wheat flour bag 20kg (0.76 per cent), bananas (0.56 per cent), rice basmati broken (0.27 per cent), moong (0.27 per cent), maash (0.25 per cent), masoor (0.13 per cent), chicken (0.07 per cent) and bread plain (0.02 per cent).
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024