Daily Times

The weekly inflation, measured by the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), witnessed a decrease of 0.42 per cent for the combined consumption group during the week ended on May 25, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported on Friday. The SPI for the week under review in the above-mentioned group was recorded at 254.05 points as compared to 255.12 points during the past week, according to the PBS data.

As compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined consumption group in the week under review witnessed an increase of 45.49 per cent. The weekly SPI with the base year 2015-16 =100 is covering 17 urban centres and 51 essential items for all expenditure groups. The SPI for the lowest consumption group up to Rs17,732 witnessed a 0.43 per cent decrease and went down to 260.77 points from last week’s 261.65 points.

Meanwhile, the SPI for the consumption group Rs 17,732-22,888 , Rs 22,889-29,517, Rs 29,518-44,175; and above Rs 44,175 witnessed a decrease of 0.38 per cent, 0.39 per cent , 0.41 per cent and 0.44 per cent respectively.

During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 18 (35.30%) items increased, 16 (31.37%) items decreased and 17 (33.33%) items remained stable. The items, which recorded a decrease in their average prices on a week-on-week (WoW), included Chicken (8.91%), Wheat Flour (3.33%), Eggs (3.03%), Garlic (2.83%), Tomatoes (2.61%), Onions (2.22%), Bananas (2.04%), Pulse Moong (1.51%), Pulse Masoor (1.26%), Cooking Oil 5 Litre (1.01%) and non-food item, LPG (3.44%).

The items that recorded an increase in their average prices on a week-on-week (wow) basis, included Energy Saver (4.91%), Long Cloth (2.75%), Rice Basmati Broken (1.86%), Cooked Beef (1.32%), Mutton (1.22%), Milk Fresh (1.20%), Shirting (1.14%) and Beef (1.03%). The commodities that witnessed a decrease in price on Year-on-Year (YOY) basis, included Tomatoes (43.49%) and Onions (33.74%).

On a Year-on-Year (YoY) basis, the commodities which recorded an increase in their average prices included Cigarettes (138.50%), Tea Lipton (114.93%), Wheat Flour (110.17%), Gas Charges for Q1 (108.38%), Gents Sponge Chappal (100.33%), Bananas (99.58%), Potatoes (98.10%), Rice Basmati Broken (81.24%), Rice Irri-6/9 (79.96%), Petrol (79.85%), Diesel (78.68%), Eggs (69.55%), Pulse Moong (63.18%), Bread (63.17%) and Pulse Mash (55.93%).