Weekly inflation rises 0.03 per cent

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) based weekly inflation for the week ended on March 01 for the combined income groups witnessed a nominal increase of 0.03 percent as compared to previous week.

The SPI for the week under review in the above mentioned group was recorded at 221.87 points against 221.81 points last week, according to latest data released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

As compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined group in the week under review witnessed increase of 0.47 per cent.

The weekly SPI has been computed with base 2007, 2008=100, covering 17 urban centers and 53 essential items for all income groups.

Meanwhile, the SPI for the lowest income group up to Rs 8,000 also decreased by 0.17 percent as it went down from 210.07 points in the previous week to 209.71  points in the week under review.

As compared to the last week, the SPI for the income groups from Rs 8001 to 12,000, Rs 12,001 to 18,000, and Rs 18,001 to 35,000 also decreased by 0.12 percent, 0.08 percent, and 0.01 percent while SPI for income groups of above Rs 35000 increased by 0.16 percent.

During the week under review, average prices of 12 items registered decrease, while 15 items increased with the remaining 26 items  prices unchanged.

The items, which registered decrease in their prices during the week under review included tomatoes, onions, eggs (farm), LPG cylinder, potatoes, pulse gram, pulse masoor, pulse mash, mustard oil, sugar, gur, and wheat flour

The items, which registered increase in prices included kerosene oil, petrol, Hi Speed Diesel, bananas, chicken (farm), garlic, rice basmati (broken), electric bulb, powdered milk, curd, wheat, mutton, tea, vegetable ghee (tin), and cooking oil (tin).

The items with no change in their average prices during the week under review included irri-6, bread plain, beef, fresh milk, vegetable ghee (loose), pulse moong, salt powder, red chilly powder, cooked beef, cooked pulses, tea (prepared), cigarettes, long cloth, shirting, lawn printed, georgette, gents shoes, ladies shoes, firewood whole, washing soap, match box, telephone call, and bathing soap.