ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the week ended on May 10, for the lowest income group up to Rs 8,000, registered nominal decrease of 0.06 per cent as compared to the previous week.
The SPI for the week under review in the above mentioned group was recorded at 174.07 points against 174.17 points registered in the previous week, according to provisional figures of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (FBS).
The weekly SPI has been computed with base 2007-2008=100, covering 17 urban centers and 53 essential items for all income groups and combined.
The SPI for the combined group reduced by 0.02 per cent as it went down from 183.31 points in the previous week to 183.28 points in the week under review.
As compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined group in the week under review witnessed increase of 8.97 percent.
As compared to the last week, the SPI for the income groups from Rs.8001- 12,000, 12,001-18,000 and 18001-35,000 decreased by 0.06, 0.04 and 0.02 respectively while the SPI for income group above Rs.35,000 increased by 0.02 per.
During the week under review average prices of 8 items registered decrease, while that of 22 items increase with the remaining 23 items' prices unchanged.
The items which recorded decrease in their average prices during the week under review included tomatoes, chicken live (farm), LPG( 11 kg cylender), onions, sugar, red chillies (powder), wheat, vegetable ghee (loose).
The items which registered increase in their prices included bananas, egg hen (farm), gram pulse (washed), bread (plain), garlic, potatoes, gur, lawn, shirting, rice (irri-6/9), curd, masoor pulse (washed), cooked dal, moong pulse (washed), energy savor, mutton, bath soap, beef, mash pulse (washed), mustard oil, cooked beef and wheat flour (bag).
The items with no change in their average prices during the week under review included rice basmati (broken), milk (fresh), milk (powdered), cooking oil (tin), vegetable ghee (tin), salt (powdered), tea (packet), tea (prepared), cigarettes, long cloth (coarse latha), georgette (voil printed), sandal (gents), chappal (gents), sandal (ladies), electric charges, gas charges (upto 100m3), kerosene, firewood, washing soap (200-250 gm.), match box, petrol, diesel and telephone local call.