Daily Times

The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) based weekly inflation for the week ended on November 5, for the combined consumption group, witnessed decrease of 0.12 percent as compared to the previous week.

The SPI for the week under review in the above mentioned group was recorded at 142.81 points against 142.98 points registered in the previous week, according to the latest data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

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 8.93 percent.

The weekly SPI with base year 2015-16=100 is covering 17 urban centers and 51 essential items for all expenditure groups. The Sensitive Price Indicator for the lowest consumption group up to Rs17,732 witnessed 0.33 percent decrease and went down from 151.34 points in last week to 150.84 points during the week under review.

Meanwhile, the SPI for the consumption groups from Rs17,732-22,888, Rs22,889-29,517; Rs29,518-44,175; Rs29,518 to Rs44,175 and above Rs 44,175 per month also decreased by 0.32 percent, 0.23, percent; 0.17 percent and 0.03 percent respectively.

During the week, prices of 14 items decreased, 14 items increased while that of 23 items remained constant.

The items, which recorded decrease in their average prices, included tomatoes, wheat flour, moong pulse, sugar, petrol, gur, rice (Basmati broken), diesel, beef, rice (Irri 6/9), bananas, eggs, vegetable ghee and cooking oil.

The commodities, which recorded increase in their average prices, included chicken, LPG Cylinder, onions, garlic, pottoes, firewood, shirign, long cloth, washing soap, mash pulse, masoor pulse, milk (powdered), gram pulse and mustard oil. Similarly, the prices of the commodities that observed no change during the week under review included bread, mutton, milk(fresh), curd, vegetable ghee, salt, chilies, tea (packet), cooked beef, cooked daal, tea (prepared), cigarettes, lawn, georgette, gents sandal, gents chappal, ladies sandal, electricity charges, gas charges, energy saver, match box, telephone call and toilet soap. This decrease is mainly due to a fall in prices of food items including tomatoes (25.22%), wheat flour (3.82%), pulse Moong (2.03%), sugar (1.91%), gur (1.20%), rice Basmati broken (1.16%), beef (0.60%), rice Irri (0.52%), bananas (0.44%), eggs (0.34%), vegetable ghee 2.5kg (0.18%) and cooking oil 5 liter (0.16%) and among non-food items petrol (1.46%), diesel (0.78%) with joint impact of (-1.00) into the overall SPI for combined group of (-0.12%).