The prices of essential kitchen items eased as the weekly inflation measured by the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), witnessed a decrease of 0.78 per cent for the combined consumption groups during the week ended on February 15, the 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 315.18 points as compared to 317.65 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 an increase of 34.25 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 up to Rs. 17,732, decreased by 0.78 percent and went down to 307.99 points from last week’s 310.42 points. The SPI for consumption groups from Rs. 17,732-22,888, Rs. 22,889-29,517; Rs. 29,518-44,175 and above Rs. 44,175, decreased by 0.82 percent, 0.72 percent, 0.77 and 0.77 percent respectively. During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 22 (43.14%) items increased, 11 (21.57%) items decreased and 18 (35.29%) items remained stable. The items, which recorded a decrease in their average prices on a week-on-week basis included eggs (28.82%), chicken (4.23%), onions (3.48%), LPG (2.85%), gur (1.13%), wheat flour (0.32%), tomatoes (0.29%), pulse masoor (0.28%) and mustard oil (0.18%). The items that recorded an increase in their average prices on a week-on-week basis included bananas (4.64%), potatoes (2.80%), match box (1.31%), long cloth (1.29%), cooked daal (0.77%), shirting (0.63%), energy saver (0.62%), pulse moong & rice basmati (0.56%) each, mutton (0.48%), cooked beef (0.39%) and pulse mash (0.35%). The commodities which recorded an increase in their average prices on year-on-year basis included gas charges for q1 (1108.59%), tomatoes (134.09%), chilies powder (81.74%), cigarettes (77.13%), wheat flour (66.12%), gents sponge chappal (58.05%), sugar (54.59%), gents sandal (53.37%), gur (49.38%), salt powdered (39.97%) tea packet (33.22%), garlic (32.06%), while decrease is observed in the prices of bananas (18.29%), mustard oil (15.67%), vegetable ghee 1 kg (15.34%), cooking oil 5 litre (10.35%), vegetable ghee 2.5 kg (9.56%), LPG (8.50%) and diesel (0.33%).