Pakistan’s weekly inflation up by 0.33pc

ISLAMABAD: The persistent trend of inflation in Pakistan shows no sign of abating as the latest weekly report revealed an increase of 0.33 percent, taking the annual inflation rate to a staggering 34.05 percent, ARY News reported on Friday.

According to the statistics issued by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the weekly inflation – measured by the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) – witnessed an increase of 0.33 percent for the combined consumption group during the week ended on June 22.

As compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined consumption group witnessed an increase of 34.05pc.

During the week, of the 51 essential items monitored by the SPI based on a survey of 50 markets in 17 cities in the country, the prices of 20 of them increased, 12 declined and 19 remained unchanged.

The prices of the 20 essential items increased collectively by 39.22pc. Similarly, the collective reduction in the rates of 12 essential goods stood at 23.53pc.

A major hike was witnessed in the prices of food items – including wheat flour 4.95pc, potatoes 2.60pc, sugar 2.49pc, salt powdered 1.31pc, pulse mash 1.14pc and non-food item, match box 1.12pc.

However, a decrease was witnessed in the prices of bananas 5.56pc, LPG 4.30pc, onions 4.03pc, tomatoes 1.63pc, vegetable ghee 2.5 kg 1.51pc, vegetable ghee 1 kg 0.68pc and cooking oil 5 litre 0.62pc.

The commodities that witnessed a decrease in price on a Year-on-Year (YOY) basis, included onions 25.31pc, tomatoes 23.90pc, pulse masoor 4.52pc and diesel 3.89pc.

On a Year-on-Year (YoY) basis, the commodities which recorded an increase in their average prices included wheat flour 116.00pc, cigarettes 115.24pc, tea packet 113.55pc, gas charges for q1 108.38pc, rice basmati broken 76.65pc, rice irri-6/9 76.24pc, potatoes 68.24pc, bananas 59.11pc, gents sponge chappal 58.05pc, chicken 57.48pc, salt powdered 51.61pc, bread 49.74pc and pulse mash 47.76pc.