Staff Reporter
Islamabad
The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) based weekly inflation for the week ended on May 7, for the combined consumption group, witnessed an increase of 0.36 percent, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported Friday.
The SPI for the week under review in the above mentioned group was recorded at 127.30 points against 126.84 points registered in the previous week, the data release by SBP revealed.
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 up to Rs 17,732 witnessed 0.89 percent decrease and went up from 132.18 points in last week to 133.36 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 increased by 0.88 percent, 0.78 percent, 0.65 percent and 0.02 percent respectively.
During the week, prices of 12 items decreased, 16 items decreased while that of 23 items remained constant.
The items, which recorded decrease in their average prices included diesel, petrol, onions, tomatoes, masoor pulse, gram pulse, garlic, curd, wheat flour, sugar, mustard oil and vegetable ghee (loose)
The commodities, which recorded increase in their average prices included chicken, bananas, potatoes, LPG Cylinder, gur, long cloth, chilies (poweder), mutton, shirting, beef, mash plse, milk (fresh), eggs, milk (powdered), firewood and moong pulse.
Similarly, the prices of the commodities that observed no change in their price during the week under review included rice (basmati), rice (Irri 6/9), bread, cooking oil (loose), vegetable ghee (tin) salt, tea (packet), cooked beef, cooked daal, tea (prepared), cigarettes, lawn, georgette, gents sandal, gents chappal, ladies sandal, gas charges, electricity saver, washing soap, match box, telephone call and toilet soap.
According to the PBS analysis, this increase was mainly due to a rise in prices of food items chicken (23.68%), bananas (7.40%), potatoes (5.14%), gur (1.26%) and chillies powder (1.08%) and non-food items i-e. LPG (3.85%) and long cloth (1.24%) with joint impact of 1.33 into the overall SPI for combined group of (0.36%).
