Kitchen items’ prices ease as SPI goes down by 0.68%

ISLAMABAD (APP): The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) based weekly inflation for the week ended on April 14 for the combined consumption group, witnessed a decrease of 0.68 percent as compared to the previous week.
The SPI for the week under review in the above mentioned group was recorded at 173.27 points against 174.45 points registered in the previous week, according to the latest data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) released here on Friday.
As compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined consumption group in the week under review witnessed an increase of 16.44 percent.
The weekly SPI with base year 2015-16=100 is covering 17 urban centers and 51 essential items for all expenditure groups.
The Sensitive Price Indicator for the lowest consumption group up to Rs17,732 witnessed 1.01% decrease and went down from 184.35 points in last week to 182.48 points during the week under review.
Meanwhile, the SPI for the consumption groups from Rs17,732-22,888; Rs22,889-29,517; Rs29,518-44,175 and above Rs 44,175 decreased by 0.95 percent, 0.80 percent, 0.73 percent and 0.56 percent respectively. During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 17 (33.33%) items increased, 10 (19.61%) items decreased and 24 (47.06%) items remained stable.
The items, which recorded decrease in their average prices on WoW basis, included tomatoes (34.14%), onions (8.46%), potatoes (3.73%), garlic (3.68%), bananas (2.61%), mustard oil (0.34%), wheat flour (0.33%) and sugar (0.25%), non-food items, LPG (1.25%) and firewood (0.80%).
The commodities, which recorded increase in their average prices, included cigarettes (5.46%), eggs (2.12%) and pulse masoor (1.15%). On year-on-year basis, the commodities that witnessed decrease in prices included chillies powdered (39.50%), pulse moong (26.95%), potatoes (22.36%), eggs (20.13%) and sugar (11.02%).
The commodities that witnessed decline in prices included tomatoes (85.04%), lpg (79.12%), garlic (77.00%), onions (67.68%), cooking oil 5 litre (58.14%), vegetable ghee 2.5 kg (57.31%), mustard oil (56.76%), vegetable ghee 1 kg (56.45%), pulse masoor (42.51%), washing soap (38.83%), petrol (35.25%) and diesel (27.00%).