STAFF REPORTER
ISLAMABAD Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) based weekly inflation for the week ended on January 02, for the combined consumption group increased by 0.74 percent as compared to the previous week. The SPI for the week under reviewinthe above mentioned group was recorded at 131.84 points against 130.87 points registered in the previous week, according to the latest data released by the PakistanBureau of Statistics (PBS). The weekly SPI was 100 collected with base 2015-16 covering 17 urban centers and 51 essentialitems for all expenditure groups. The SPI for the lowest consumption group up to Rs17,732 also witnessed 0.90 percentincrease and went up from 134.01 points in last week to 135.21 points during the week under review, it added. As compared to the corresponding week oflast year,the SPI for the combined consumption group in the week under review witnessed an increase of 19.84 percent, while, for the lowest group, it increased by 18.99 percent. Meanwhile,the SPI forthe consumption groups from Rs17,733to 22,888, from Rs 22,889 to 29,517, Rs 29,518 to 44,175 and above Rs44,175 per month also increased by 0.78 percent, 0.77 percent, 0.78 percent and 0.76 percent respectively. During the week under review, average prices of 04item registered decrease, while that of 28 items prices increased with the remaining 19 items’ prices unchanged. The prices of the commodities that recorded decrease in their prices during the week under review included onion, potatoes, chicken farm (live) and electricity charges. The items, which recorded increase in their average prices included tomatoes, LPG, pulse moong, pulse gram, mustard oil, gur, sugar, petrol, pulse masoor, pulse mash, hi-speed diesel, vegetable ghee eggs hen (farm), washing soap, bananas, cooked daal, fire wood, powder milk, long cloth cooking oil, shirting, georgette, milk fresh, garlic and mutton