Daily Times

The weekly inflation, measured by the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), witnessed a nominal increase of 0.03 per cent for the combined consumption group during the week ended on June 1st, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported on Friday.

The SPI for the week under review in the above-mentioned group was recorded at 254.13 points as compared to 254.05 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 42.67 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, however decreased by 0.06 per cent and went down to 260.57 points from last week’s 260.77 points whereas it decreased by 0.10 percent for consumption group from Rs 17,732-22,888.

The SPI for consumption groups from Rs 22,889-29,517, Rs 29,518-44,175; and above Rs 44,175 witnessed an increase of 0.08 per cent, 0.12 per cent and 0.05 per cent respectively. During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 19 (37.25%) items increased, 14 (27.45%) items decreased and 18 (35.30%) items remained stable.

The items, which recorded a decrease in their average prices on a week-on-week (WoW), included LPG (4.46%), wheat flour (4.06%), bananas (4.04%), petrol (2.96%), eggs (2.57%), diesel (1.94%), vegetable ghee 1 kg (1.87%), mustard oil (1.57%), cooking oil 5 litre (1.35%), pulse moong (1.27%) and vegetable ghee 2.5 kg (1.06%). The items that recorded an increase in their average prices on a week-on-week (wow) basis, included onions (7.31%), potatoes (2.89%), chicken (2.87%), tea prepared (1.56%), tomatoes (1.11%), salt powdered (1.08%), rice Irri-6/9 (1.00%) and beef (1.00%).

The commodities that witnessed a decrease in price on a Year-on-Year (YOY) basis, included tomatoes (42.14%) and onions (29.00%). On a Year-on-Year (YoY) basis, the commodities which recorded an increase in their average prices included cigarettes (138.50%), tea packet (114.93%), gas charges for q1 (108.38%), wheat flour (105.56%), bananas (88.96%), potatoes (86.86%), rice irri-6/9 (80.97%), rice Basmati broken (80.15%), pulse moong (60.40%), bread (59.66%), eggs (55.29%), pulse mash (53.70%), washing soap (48.61%), petrol (45.55%) and diesel (45.18%).