Staff Reporter
Islamabad
The weekly inflation for the week ended on August 8, for the combined income group, witnessed an increase of 1.23 percent as compared to the previous week.
The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the week under review in the combined group was recorded at 270.31 points against 267.02 points registered in the previous week, according to the latest data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
Meanwhile, the inflation for the lowest income group also increased from 245.50 points in last week to 249.01 points, showing growth of 1.43 percent. As compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined group in the week under review witnessed an increase of 17.76 percent, and for the lowest income group, it increased by 14.46 percent.
The weekly SPI has been computed with base 2007-08=100, covering 17 urban centres and 53 essential items for all income groups and combined.
Meanwhile, the SPI for the income groups from Rs8001-12,000, Rs12,001-18,000; 18,001-35,000 and above Rs35000 per month increased by 1.35 percent, 1.33 percent, 1.27 percent and 1.1 percent respectively. During the week under review, average prices of 3 item registered decrease, while that of 25 items increased with the remaining 25 items’ prices unchanged. The item that witnessed decrease in their prices during the week under review included bananas, red chilly and wheat.
The items, which recorded increase in their average prices included onions, chicken, tomatoes, potatoes, vegetable ghee, garlic, sugar, eggs, cooking oil (tin), cooked daal, vegetable ghee, bath soap, gram pulse, gur, cooked beef, masoor pulse, wheat flour, mash pulse, mustard oil, rice (irri-6), moong pulse, LPG Cylinder, beef, curd and fresh milk.
Similarly the items which recorded no change in their prices included rice (Basmati broken), bread, mutton, milk (powdered), salt, tea (packet), tea (prepared), cigarettes, long cloth, shirting, lawn, georgette, gents sandal, gents chappal, ladies sandal, electricity charges, kerosene oil, firewood, electric bulb, washing soap, match box, petrol, diesel and telephone local call.
