The weekly inflation of 53 essential daily-use items rose by 0.12 percent during this week as compared to preceding week, according to the Sensitive Price Index (SPI) released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistic (PBS) Friday. According to PBS, the SPI-based inflation during the week ended on December 20, for the combined income group registered an increase of 0.12 percent as compared to the previous week.
According to PBS data, the core inflation as compared to corresponding period of the past year for the combined income group has jumped by 5.36 percent - from 226 points to 238.12 points. According to PBS, during the period under review, the SPI inflation for combined income group was recorded at 238.12 points against 237.83 points.
The weekly SPI has been computed with base 2007-08=100, covering 17 urban centres and 53 essential items for all income groups and combined. Meanwhile, the SPI for the lowest income group with a monthly income of Rs 8,000 has surged by 0.17 percent as it went up from 219.40 points in the previous week to 219.77 points in the week under review.
The SPI for the income groups from Rs8001-12,000, Rs 12,001-18,000, 18,001-35,000 and above Rs35000 increased by 0.16 percent, 0.15 percent, 0.13 percent and 0.08 percent respectively. During the week under review average prices of 12 items witnessed a reduction, while that of 17 items went up and prices of 24 items remained unchanged.
The items which registered decrease in their prices during the week under review included chicken farm (live), potatoes, tomatoes, onions, eggs hen (farm), pulse moong, pulse gram, vegetable ghee (loose), pulse masoor and garlic. The items which recorded increase in their average prices included LPG cylinder, match box, bananas, tea, milk fresh, pulse mash, bread plain, beef, powder milk, sugar, fire wood, rice irri-6, wheat, curd, cooking oil (tin), wheat flour and vegetable ghee (tin).
The prices of the commodities that had remained unchanged during the week under review including mutton, mustard oil, salt powder, red chilly, cooked beef, cooked daal, tea prepared cup, cigarettes, long cloth, shirting, lawn, georgette, gents sandal, gents chappal, ladies sandal, electricity, gas, kerosene oil, electric bulb, washing soap, petrol, hi-speed diesel, telephone call and bath soap.