SPI based inflation rises

ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), for the week ended on 28 July 2011, for the lowest income group up to Rs3,000, has registered increase of 0.39 percent over the previous week.

The SPI for the week under review in the above mentioned group was recorded at 310.80 points as against 309.58 points registered in the previous week, according to provisional figures of Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS) on Saturday.

The weekly SPI has been computed with base 2000 2001=100 covering 17 urban centres and 53 essential items for all income groups and combined.

SPI for the combined group also registered increase of 0.36 percent as it went up from 296.97 points in the previous week to 298.05 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 15.58 percent.

As compared to the last week, the SPI for the income groups ranging from Rs.3001 5000, Rs.5001 12000 and above Rs.12000 increased by 0.39 percent, 0.37 percent and 0.32 percent respectively.

During the week under review average prices of 7 items registered decrease, while that of 23 items increase with the remaining 23 items' prices unchanged.

The items which recorded decrease in their average prices during the week under review included garlic, bananas, mash pulse (washed), masoor pulse (washed) milk (powdered), wheat flour (average quality) and gur.

The items which registered increase in their prices included onions, tomatoes, coarse latha, chicken (farm), potatoes, voil (printed), rice basmati (broken), lawn, curd, cooked dal, egg hen (farm), firewood, LPG(11 kg cylender), sugar, mutton, beef, gram pulse (washed), vegetable ghee (loose), red chillies, moong pulse (washed), rice (irri-6), wheat (average quality) and mustard oil.

The items with no change in their average prices during the week under review included bread (plain), milk (fresh), vegetable ghee (tin), cooking oil (tin), salt (powdered) tea (packet), tea (prepared), cooked beef, cigarettes, shirting, sandal (gents), sandal (ladies), chappal, kerosene, electric bulb, match box, washing soap, bath soap, gas charges (up to 3.3719 MMBTU), electricity charges, (1-100 unit), petrol, diesel and telephone local call.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011