ISLAMABAD – The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), for the lowest income group up to Rs.3,000, in the week ended on January 6, has registered an increase of 0.51 percent in comparison to the previous week.
The SPI was recorded at 301.23 points as against 299.71 points registered in the previous week, according to provisional figures revealed by the Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS).
The weekly SPI was 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, surged by 1.02 percent jumping from 283.59 points in the previous week to 286.48 points in the week under review. SPI for the combined group in the week under review posted an increase of 20.12 percent, while SPI for the income groups from Rs 3001-5000, Rs 5001-12000 and above Rs 12000 increased by 0.57 percent, 0.64 percent and 1.40 percent respectively.
The average price of six items decreased, 30 items increased, while the remaining 17 items remained stagnant.
Items, undergoing a decrease in their average prices during the week under review, included onions, potatoes, garlic, bananas, tomatoes and mash pulse (washed).
Items, posting an increase in their prices include petrol, diesel, chicken (farm), Kerosene, vegetable ghee (tin), cooking oil (tin), vegetable ghee (loose), rice basmati (broken), red chilies, electricity charges, rice (irri-6), washing soap, LPG( 11 kg cylinder), cooked dal, firewood, coarse latha, mustard oil, gur, moong pulse (washed), gram pulse (washed), sugar, wheat (average quality), mutton, masoor pulse (washed), egg hen (farm), cooked beef, milk (fresh), curd and wheat flour (average quality).
Items, with no change in their average prices during the week under review, included bread (plain), milk (powdered), salt (powdered), tea (packet), tea (prepared), cigarettes, lawn, voil (printed), shirting, sandal (gents), sandal (ladies), chappal, electricity bulb, match box, bath soap, gas charges (up to 3.3719MMBTU) and telephone local call.
