SPI shows marginal increase

SPI shows marginal increase

ISLAMABAD: Weekly inflation for combined income group witnessing a marginal increase of 0.08 per cent for the week ending Oct 24 as compared to the previous week.

The weekly inflation measured through the sensitive price index (SPI) rebound and witnessed slight increase for the past six consecutive weeks, suggested data issued by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics here on Friday.

Since May 9, the SPI is on rise owing to increase in prices of non-perishable and perishable products, such as vegetable, pulses, edible oil, among other products. However, some decline is also witnessed for two to three weeks in these products.

SPI monitors prices of 53 items based on the survey of 17 cities and 53 markets.

The impact of prices on various income groups also witnessed variations during the week under review.

For the lowest income group earning up to Rs8,000, the SPI witnessed an increase of 0.18pc over the previous week while inflation for the top income group (Rs35,000 and above) was up by 0.03pc.

However, as compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined group in the week under review witnessed an increase of 11.68pc.

The food items, which registered substantial increase in their prices, were potatoes, 13.35pc; bananas, 1.67pc; garlic, 1.55pc; break plain, 1.22pc; egg, 0.90pc; cooked beef plate, 0.78pc; masoor pulse washed, 0.51pc; rice basmati broken, 0.50pc; sugar, 0.47pc; wheat, 0.43pc; wheat flour, 0.25pc; onions, 0.22pc; red chillies powder loose, 0.13pc; mash pulse washed, 0.12pc; milk fresh, 0.07pc; and vegetable ghee loose, 0.07pc, respectively.

The non-food items, which registered an increase in their prices, were cigarettes, 0.32pc; LPG 11 Kg cylinder, 0.19pc; and firewood, 0.09pc.

The items, whose prices declined are tomatoes, chicken, gram pulse washed, rice-irri-6, gur and moong pulse washed.