Prices may rise as only '15 days of pulses available in stock'

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is likely to face another shortage as 15 days of pulses were available in the stocks, ARY News reported on Friday.

In a statement, the President of the Saddar wholesale market warned authorities that the country would face a severe shortage of pulses, if the containers are not cleared immediately from the port.

He said that hundreds of containers were stuck at the ports due to which the prices of pulses increased by Rs100 per kg. “The government has not yet implemented its decision to wave port charges,” he added.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics reported the weekly inflation in Pakistan, measured by the Sensitive Price Index (SPI), increased by 0.45% during the week ended January 26, 2023, as per data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

According to the data, the SPI for the week under review was recorded at 229.83 points against 228.90 points registered in the previous week.

During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 25 (49.02%) items increased, 06 (11.76%) items decreased and 20 (39.22%) items remained stable.

The commodities which recorded an increase in their average prices included Onions (5.51%), Rice Irri-6/9 (4.51%), Tomatoes (4.18%), Bananas (3.57%), Rice Basmati Broken (3.56%), Garlic (3.47%), Wheat Flour (1.81%), Pulse Gram (1.74%), Pulse Moong (1.38%) and non-food item, LPG (5.29%).

The items which recorded a decrease in their average prices on a week-on-week (wow) basis included Potatoes (4.47%), Chicken (1.63%), Gur (0.90%), Sugar (0.85%), Powdered Milk (0.26%) and Vegetable Ghee 2.5 Kg (0.08%).