Daily Times

The weekly inflation measured by the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), witnessed an increase of 0.94 percent for the combined consumption groups during the week ended on June 20, 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 316.88 points as compared to 313.93 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 23.78 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 of up to Rs 17,732, increased by 1.58 per cent and went up to 309.10 points from the last week’s 304.28 points. The SPI for consumption groups of Rs 17,732-22,888, Rs 22,889-29,517; Rs 29,518-44,175 and above Rs 44,175, increased by 1.44 percent, 1.20 percent, 1.11 and 0.69 percent respectively.

During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 25 (49.02%) items increased, 5 (9.80%) items decreased and 21 (41.18%) items remained stable.

The items, which recorded a decrease in their average prices on a week-on-week basis included petrol (3.76%), diesel (0.84%), rice basmati broken (0.08%) pulse masoor (0.08%) and chicken (0.05%).

The commodities which recorded an increase in their average prices on week-on-week basis included tomatoes (65.84%), potatoes (5.61%), onions (3.78%), bananas (3.29%), LPG (2.44%), cigarettes (1.67%), pulse moong (1.53%), garlic (1.29%), milk fresh (0.95%), eggs (0.83%), georgette (0.28%) and shirting (0.17%).

On-year basis, the commodities that witnessed decrease included wheat flour (32.90%), chicken (20.60%), cooking oil 5 litre (16.17%), vegetable ghee 2.5 kg (13.39%), vegetable ghee 1 kg (12.42%), bananas (11.69%), mustard oil (8.24%), tea packet (2.52%) and petrol (1.38%).

The commodities which recorded an increase in their average prices on year-on-year basis included gas charges for q1 (570.00%), tomatoes (191.00%), onions (122.66%), chilies powder (54.81%), garlic (40.55%), shirting (30.75%), salt powder (29.49%), gents sandal (25.01%), pulse gram (22.67%) pulse mash (22.60%), beef (22.12%) and electricity charges for Q1 (21.46%).