The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the week ended on May 23 for the lowest income group up to Rs 8,000 registered increased of 0.06 per cent as compared to the previous week. The SPI for the week under review in the above mentioned group was recorded at 186.90 points against 186.78 points registered in the previous week. According the provisional figures of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) weekly SPI has been computed with base 2007 2008=100, covering 17 urban centers and 53 essential items for all income groups and combined. The SPI for the combined group also increased by 0.11 per cent as it went up from 192.01 points in the previous week to 192.23 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 increase of 2.78 percent. As compared to the last week, the SPI for the income groups from Rs 8001 12,000, 12,001 18,000, 18001 35,000 and above Rs 35,000 increased by 0.10 percent, 0.11 percent, 0.12 and 0.13 percent, respectively. During the week under review average prices of 8 items registered decrease, while that of 17 items increase with the remaining 28 items’ prices unchanged. The items which registered decrease in their prices during the week under review included onion, garlic, egg hen (farm), red chillies powder, masoor pulse (washed), LPG cylinder (11kg) and chicken live (farm). The items which recorded increase in their average prices included tomatoes, bananas, potatoes, tea, gur, sugar, mash pulse (washed), bath soap, wheat flour bag, wheat, milk fresh, curd, moong pulse (washed), fire wood, shirting, vegetable ghee (loose) and mustard oil. The items with no change in their average prices during the week under review included rice basmati (broken), rice irri-6, bread plain, beef, mutton, milk powder, cooking oil (tin), vegetable ghee (tin), salt powder, cooked dal (plate), cooked beef (plate), tea prepared (cup), cigarettes, long cloth, lawn, georgette, sandal gents, chappal spang (gents), sandal ladies, electric charges, gas charges, kerosene oil, energy saver, washing soap, match box, petrol, diesel and telephone local calls.
