Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The weekly inflation for the week ended on July 21, for the combined income group, witnessed an increase of 0.25 percent as compared to the previous week.

The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the week under review in the abovementioned group was recorded at 219.96 points against 219.41 points registered in the previous week, according to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Friday.

As compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined group in the week under review increased by 2.18 percent. 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. Meanwhile, the SPI for the lowest income group, up to Rs 8,000, also increased by 0.37 percent as it went up from 210.24 points in the previous week to 211.02 points in the week under review.

As compared to the last week, the SPI for the income groups from Rs 8,001-12,000, Rs 12,001-18,000 and 18,001-35,000 increased by 0.32 percent, 0.30 percent, 0.25 percent and 0.18 percent respectively.

During the week under review, average prices of seven items registered decrease, while that of 16 items increased with remaining 30 items’ prices unchanged. The items that registered decrease in their prices during the week under review included chicken (farm), bananas, onions, LPG cylinder, pulse (masoor), pulse (moong) and vegetable ghee. The items that recorded increase in their average prices included tomatoes, garlic, eggs (farm), sugar, potatoes, pulse (gram), mash pulse, bread (plain), rice (basmati broken), wheat, bath soap, gur, red chilly, wheat flour and mutton.

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