ISLAMABAD: The Consumer Price Index (CPI) based on monthly inflation during the month of August this year, registered a decrease of 0.34 % as compared to the previous month of July.
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics Director Atiqur Rahman on Thursday said the inflation rate – during the month of August – was increased by 3.56% as compared to the corresponding month of last year. While briefing media persons, he said the average inflation during the period from July to August, 2016-17 over July-August 2015-16 were recorded at 3.84%.
The Bureau of Statistics collects the retail and whole sale price and computes the Consumers Price Index (CPI), Whole sale price index (WPI) on monthly basis and Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) on weekly basis, he informed. The CPI decreased by 0.30% and WPI decreased by 0.03%, whereas the SPI increased by 0.23% in the month of August respectively, he said.
Rahman said that during the month of August, 2016 over the month of August 2015, the trimmed core inflation has been observed at 3.5 %, while it was 2.8% during August, 2015 over August, 2014.
The non-food and non-energy core inflation has been observed as 4.6%, while it was 4.0 % during August, 2015 over August, 2014, during the month of August, 2016, over August, 2015, he added.
The top few commodities that witnessed increase in their prices during last month include, syrup, sweet malon, entox tablets, garlic, tinda, eggs, car honda civic, sugar, septran tablets, cucumbers, pumpkin, potatoes, silver tezabi, suitcase rexin, pulse gram, gur, fountain pen, gold tezabi and car Suzuki, he said.
The items, which recorded negative growth in their prices including apple, arvi, bottle gourd, bananas, grapes, brinjal, chicken, turai tomatoes, onions, lady finger, mango and lemon, he added. He said that the main cause of the increase in inflation rate during the month was sharp increase of perishable food items.
While replaying to a question, he said that PBS has finalised its arrangements to hold census and Council of Common Interest (CCI) had decided that Pakistan Army would provide assistance during the process.
Currently, armed forces were engaged in Zarb-e-Azab security operation against terrorist for eliminating the menace of terrorism from the country, he said and added that the census campaign could be carried out by March next year subject to the availability of armed personnel.