The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), for the week that ended on August 11, 2011, for the lowest income group of up to Rs3,000, has registered a nominal increase of 0.02 per cent over the previous week. The SPI for the week under review in the above mentioned group was recorded at 310.26 points as against 310.20 points registered in the previous week, according to provisional figures of Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS).
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 increase of 1.91 per cent as it went up from 298.18 points in the previous week to 303.87 points in the week under review. As compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined group in the week under review witnessed an increase of 15.84 per cent.
As compared to the last week, the SPI for the income groups ranging from Rs3,001- 5,000, Rs5,001-12,000 and above Rs.12000 witnessed increases of 0.33 per cent, 6.11 per cent and 6.63 per cent respectively. During the week under review average prices of 13 items registered decrease, while that of 17 items increased with the remaining 23 items’ prices did not change.
The items which recorded decrease in their average prices during the week under review included tomatoes, potatoes, chicken egg hen, onions, garlic, masoor pulse, electric bulb (60wats), gram pulse, moong pulse, vegetable ghee, red chillies and wheat flour (average quality). The items which registered increase in their prices included gas charges (up to 3.3719 mmbtu), LPG ( 11 kg cylender), bananas, shirting, coarse latha, sugar, washing soap, salt, milk, curd, firewood, rice, mutton, gur, beef, mustard oil and mash pulse. The items with no change in their average prices during the week under review included wheat (average quality), rice basmati, bread, milk, vegetable ghee, cooking oil, tea, cooked beef, cooked dal, cigarettes, lawn, voil, sandal, chappal, kerosene, match box, bath soap, electricity charges, petrol, diesel and telephone local call.
