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Weekly inflation rises to 24 pc in country
Islamabad — The weekly inflation in Pakistan
increased to 23.93 per cent during the week ended on April 30 due to
rising food and oil prices over the corresponding period of last
year. The inflation measured through the Sensitive Price Index (SPI),
however, recorded a marginal increase of 0.2 per cent during the
week under review over the previous week, according to the
Statistics Division data issued here yesterday. The four-time
increase in the oil price in the last two months escalated prices of
23 items mostly essential kitchen items, which drastically reduced
the monthly budget of the low income salaried class people.
The SPI witnessed an increase of 27.06 and 26.51 per cent,
respectively, for households in the two lower income brackets of up
to Rs3,000 and Rs3,001 to Rs5,000. For households in the income
brackets of Rs5,001 to Rs12,000, the increase in the SPI was in the
range of 24.56 per cent, and for households in the income basket of
over Rs12,000; the inflation registered a growth of 21.16 per cent
over the week last year. Prices of 23 items went up as compared to
the previous week. Prices of gram pulse increased by 13.51 per cent
to Rs57.37 per kg as against Rs50.54, while an increase of 11.43 per
cent was witnessed in masoor pulse washed which stood at Rs93.78 per
kg during the week under review as against Rs48.16, rice irri-6
increased by 8.11 per cent to Rs40.66 per kg from Rs37.61, and of
rice basmati broken by 4.11 per cent to Rs47.16 per kg as against
Rs45.30.
The prices of potatoes went up by 3.72 per cent to Rs13.66 per kg as
against Rs13.17, moong pulse washed increased by 2.99 per cent to
Rs54.75 per kg from Rs53.16, bananas 2.78 per cent to Rs38.44 per kg
from Rs37.40 and sugar 2.15 per cent to Rs25.67 per kg as against
Rs25.13. Gur prices increased by 2.07 per cent to Rs29.07 per kg as
against Rs28.48, tomatoes increased by 1.51 per cent to Rs23.47 per
kg as against Rs23.12. The onions price increased by one per cent to
Rs12.14 per kg as against Rs12.02, red chillies witnessed a rise of
0.67 per cent to Rs219.60 per kg against Rs218.14, and milk fresh
went up by 0.56 per cent to Rs32.15 per kg as against Rs31.97.
Prices of curd went up by 0.56 per cent to Rs37.86 per kg as against
Rs37.65, firewood increased 0.54 per cent to Rs236.37 per 40 kg as
against Rs235.10 and washing soap nylon 0.45 per cent to Rs11.04 per
cake against Rs10.99. —KT
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