STAFF REPORTER IS LAMABAD The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) based inflation declined to 7.69 percent during the week ended on April 16, showing lowest increase in last over 14 months by falling to single digit when compared to the corresponding period of last year, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported. However, as compared to the previous week, the SPI-based weekly inflation for the combined consumption group witnessed a nominal increase of 0.15 percent, the PBS data revealed. The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the week under review in the above mentioned group w as recorded at 125.16 points against 124.97 points registered in the previous week. The weekly SPI with base year 2015- 16=100 is covering 17 urban centers and 51 essential items for all expenditure groups. The Sensitive Price Indicator for the lowest consumption group upto Rs 17,732 witnessed 0.01 percent decrease and went down from 130.15 points in last week to 130.14 points during the week under review. Meanwhile, the SPI for the consumption groups from Rs. 17,733-22,888, Rs. 22,889-29,517, Rs. 29,518-44,175 and above Rs 44,175 per month nominally increased by 0.04 percent, 0.09 percent, 0.15 percent and 0.20 percent respectively. During the week, prices of 8 items decreased, 16 items decreased while that of 27 items remained constant. The items, which recorded decrease in their average prices included onions, garlic, eggs, LPG Cylinder, wheat flour, sugar, mustard oil and vegetable ghees. The commodities, which recorded increase in their average prices included masoor pulse, chicken, mash pulse, potatoes, rice (Irri 6/9), moong pulse, tomatoes, rice (Basmati broken), milk (fresh), firewood, gram pulse, bananas, beef, gur, curd and mutton. Similarly, the prices of the commodities that observed no change in their price during the week under review included bread, milk (powdered), cooking oil, vegetable ghee, salt, chillies, tea (packet), cooked beef cooked daal, tea (prepared), cigarettes, long cloth, shirting, lawn, georgette, gents sandal, gents sponge chappal, ladies sandal, electricity charges, gas charges, energy saver, washing soap, match box, petrol, diesel, telephone call and toilet soap. According to the PBS analysis, the SPI for the week recorded an increase of 0.15% over last week mainly due to a rise in prices of food items i.e. pulse masoor (8.01%), chicken (4.90%), pulse mash (4.45%), potatoes (4.39%), rice Irri 6/9 (3.31%), pulse moong (1.22%) and tomatoes (1.01%) with joint impact of 0.20 into the overall SPI for combined group of (0.15%).
