Weekly inflation increases by 0.48pc

ISLAMABAD – The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), for the week ended 07 April, for the lowest income group up to Rs.3,000, has registered an increase of 0.48 percent over the previous week. Provisional figures from the Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS) revealed that SPI, for the week under review in the above mentioned group, was recorded at 300.16 points as against 298.73 points in the previous week.
The weekly SPI has been computed with base 2000 2001=100 covering 17 urban centers and 53 essential items for all income groups and combined. SPI for the combined group registered an increase of 0.86 percent, rising from 284.07 points in the previous week to 286.51 points in the week under review.
Compared to the corresponding week of last year, SPI for the combined group in the week under review exhibited a 15.09 percent increase. Compared to the last week, SPI for the income groups from Rs 3001- 5000, Rs 5001-12000 and above Rs 12,000, increased by 0.43 percent, 0.45 percent and 1.26 percent respectively.
During the week under review, average prices of 12 items decreased, 24 items increased, while prices for the residual 17 items’ remained unchanged. Commodities, whose average prices decreased during the week under review included garlic, egg hen (farm), masoor pulse (washed), wheat (average quality), chicken (farm), wheat flour (average quality), gur, gram pulse (washed), red chilies, mash pulse (washed), vegetable ghee (loose), moong pulse (washed).
Items, which underwent an increase in their prices included diesel, potatoes, kerosene, onions, petrol, coarse latha, tomatoes, voil (printed), lawn, shirting, LPG(11 kg cylinder), bananas, bath soap, sugar, tea (prepared), firewood, rice (irri-6), beef, rice basmati (broken), mustard oil, milk (fresh), mutton, curd and cooked beef.
Commodities, with no change in their average prices included bread (plain), milk (powdered), vegetable ghee (tin), cooking oil (tin), salt (powdered), tea (packet), cooked dal, cigarettes, sandal (gents), sandal (ladies), chappal, electricity bulb, match box, washing soap, gas charges (up to 3.3719MMBTU), electricity charges (1-100 unit) and telephone local call.