Daily Times

The weekly inflation, measured by the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), went up by 0.24 percent for the combined consumption groups during the week ended on November 7, 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 320.17 points as compared to 319.40 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 13.89 per cent.

The weekly SPI with the base year 2015-16 =100 covers 17 urban centres and 51 essential items for all expenditure groups.

However, SPI for the lowest consumption group of up to Rs 17,732 witnessed increase of 0.29 per cent and went up to 312.93 points from last week’s 312.02 points.

The SPI for consumption groups of Rs 17,732 to 22,888; Rs 22,889-29,517; Rs 29,518-44,175 and above Rs 44,175, increased by 0.26 percent, 0.24 percent, 0.23 percent and 0.24 percent respectively.

During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 21 (41.18%) items increased, 10 (19.61%) items decreased and 20 (39.21%) items remained stable.

The items, which recorded major decrease in their average prices on a week-on-week basis included bananas (2.63%), sugar (1.49%), chicken (1.23%), gur (0.99%), pulse mash (0.72%), pulse gram (0.60%), rice irri-6/9 (0.43%) and pulse masoor (0.27%).

The commodities which recorded major increase in their average prices on week-on-week basis included LPG (3.37%), eggs (2.70%), potatoes (2.63%), onions (2.61%), mustard oil (2.36%), tomatoes (1.67%), diesel (1.54%), vegetable ghee 1kg (1.49%), cooking oil 5 litre (1.35%), pulse moong (0.93%), petrol (0.56%) and washing soap (0.47%).

On-year basis, the commodities that witnessed decrease included wheat flour (33.26%), tomatoes (28.98%), electricity charges for q1 (20.32%), chilies powder (20.00%), diesel (15.77%), petrol (12.28%), sugar (8.91%), rice basmati broken (7.98%), cooking oil 5 litre (6.08%), bread (5.55%) and tea packt (3.33%).

The commodities which recorded an increase in their average prices on year-on-year basis included gas charges for q1 (570.00%), pulse gram (80.59%), pulse moong (40.46%), powdered milk (25.74%), beef (23.40%), onions (20.87%), shirting (16.35%), garlic (16.06%), cooked daal (15.36%), mutton (14.02%), ladies sandal (12.52%) and firewood (12.43%).