Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The weekly inflation for the week ended on September 22 for the combined income group decreased by 0.43 percent, as compared to the previous week.

According to the data released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Friday, the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the week under review in the above mentioned group was recorded at 218.75 points against 219.69 points registered in the previous week.

However, as compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined group in the week under review increased by 0.78 percent, it said.

The weekly SPI has been computed with base 2007 2008=100, covering 17 urban centres and 53 essential items for all income groups and combined, it added.

Meanwhile, the SPI for the lowest income group upto Rs 8,000 also decreased by 0.38 percent, as it went down from 211.24 points in the previous week to 210.43 points in the week under review, the data said.

According to PBS data, as compared to the last week, the SPI for the income groups from Rs 8,001 to Rs 12,000, Rs 12,001 to 18,000, Rs 18,001 to Rs 35,000 and above Rs 35,000 decreased by 0.40 percent, 0.43 percent, 0.44 percent and 0.43 percent respectively.

During the week under review, average prices of 13 items registered decrease, while eight items increased with the remaining 32 items’ prices unchanged, it said.

The items, which registered decrease in their prices during the week under review included tomatoes, chicken farm (live), bananas, eggs hen (farm), pulse mash (washed), onion, potatoes, LPG cylinder 11 kilogrammes, garlic, rice banaspati, pulse moong (washed), red chilly and pulse masoor, it added.

The items, which recorded increase in their average prices included wheat, pulse gram (washed), wheat flour (bag), vegetable ghee (loose), sugar, gur, powder milk and fire wood.

The items with no change in their average prices during the week under review included rice irri-6, bread plain, beef, mutton, milk, curd, mustard oil, cooking oil (tin), vegetable ghee (tin), salt (powder) tea (packet), cooked beef, cooked daal, tea, cigarettes, long cloth, shirting, lawn printed, georgette, gents sandal, gents chappal, ladies sandal, electricity charges, gas charges, kerosene oil, firewood, electric bulb, washing soap, match box, petrol, diesel, telephone local call and bath soap.