Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The weekly inflation for the week ended on April 28, for the combined income group, witnessed decrease of 0.39 percent as compared to the previous week.

The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the week under review in the abovementioned group was recorded at 214.90 points against 215.74 points registered in the previous week, according to data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

However, as compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined group in the week under review increased by 3.13 percent. The weekly SPI has been computed with base 2007-08=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 decreased by 0.41 percent as it went down from 206.27 points in the previous week to 205.42 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 also decreased by 0.40 percent, 0.40 percent, 0.39 percent and 0.36 percent respectively.

During the week under review, average prices of 11 items registered decrease, while that of 13 items increase with the remaining 29 items’ prices unchanged. The items that registered decrease in their prices during the week under review included tomatoes, garlic, chicken farm, onions, bananas, eggs (farm), wheat, wheat flour, LPG cylinder, potatoes and georgette (average quality). The items, which recorded increase in their average prices included pulse mash, pulse gram, pulse masoor, gur, red chilly (powder), milk fresh, pulse moong, mustard oil, powdered milk, mutton, long cloth, vegetable ghee and sugar.

The prices of the commodities that remained unchanged during last week included rice basmati, rice irri-6, bread plain, beef (with bone), curd, cooking oil (tin), vegetable ghee (tin), salt powder (loose), tea, cooked beef, cooked pulses, tea (prepared), cigarettes, shirting, lawn (printed), gents sandal, gents shoes, ladies shoes, electricity charges, gas charges, kerosene oil, firewood whole, electric bulb, washing soap, match box, petrol, Hi speed diesel, telephone call charges and bathing soap.