Weekly inflation witnesses increase in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The weekly inflation in Pakistan, measured by the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), increased by 0.24 percent for the combined consumption groups during the week ended on May 08, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported on Friday.

According to the PBS data, the SPI for the week under review in the above-mentioned group was recorded at 310.05 points as compared to 309.31 points during the past week.

As compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined consumption group in the week under review witnessed a decrease of 0.80 per cent.

The weekly SPI with the base year 2015-16 =100 covers 17 urban centres and 51 essential items for all expenditure groups.

The SPI for the lowest consumption group of up to Rs 17,732 witnessed an increase of 0.10 per cent and went up to 298.24 points from last week’s 297.93 points.

The SPI for consumption groups of Rs 17,732 to 22,888; Rs 22,889-29,517; Rs 29,518-44,175 and above Rs 44,175, went up 0.18 percent, 0.20 percent, 0.26 percent and 0.26 percent respectively.

During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 09 (17.65%) items increased, 17 (33.33%) items decreased and 25 (49.02%) items remained stable.

The items, which recorded major increase in their average prices on a week-on-week basis included f Chicken (10.20%), Eggs (7.36%), Sugar (1.93%), Beef (1.50%), Pulse Mash (0.31%), Cooked Beef (0.20%), Mutton (0.15%) and Gur (0.11%).

The commodities which recorded major decrease in their average prices on a week-on-week basis included Tomatoes (8.81%), Garlic (5.05%), Potatoes (3.33%), Onions (2.08%), LPG (1.66%), Bananas (0.93%), Petrol (0.83%), Diesel (0.78%), Wheat Flour (0.76%), Vegetable Ghee 1 Kg (0.46%) and Mustard Oil (0.33%).

Year-on-year basis, the commodities that witnessed decrease included Onions (62.53%), Tomatoes (44.54%), Garlic (36.16%), Electricity Charges for Q1 (29.40%), Potatoes (27.42%), Wheat Flour (24.17%), Tea Lipton (16.98%), Pulse Mash (16.49%), Chilies Powder (13.45%), Petrol (12.36%) and Diesel (8.91%).

The commodities which recorded an increase in their average prices on year-on-year basis included  Ladies Sandal (55.62%), Pulse Moong (28.67%), Powdered Milk (22.26%), Pulse Gram (22.09%), Beef (18.22%), Bananas (18.18%), Sugar (16.54%), Vegetable Ghee 2.5 Kg (14.93%), Vegetable Ghee 1Kg (13.88%), Firewood (10.35%), Lawn Printed (10.33%) and Georgette (9.90%).