Weekly inflation falls 0.25pc

ISLAMABAD: The weekly inflation for the week ended on March 26 for the lowest income group up to Rs 8,000 witnessed decrease of 0.24 percent as compared to the previous week.

The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the week under review in the above mentioned group was recorded at 199.61 points against 200.12 points registered in the previous week, according to data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

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

Meanwhile, the SPI for the combined income group was also decreased by 0.24 percent as it went down from 207.28 points in the previous week to 206.78 points in the week under review.

Similarly, as compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined group in the week under review decreased by 2.82 percent.

As compared to the last week, the SPI for the income groups from Rs 8001-12,000, Rs 12,001-18,000 and 18,001-35,000 decreased by 0.24, 0.25, 0.24 and 0.24 percent respectively.

During the week under review average prices of 13 items registered decrease, while that of 11 items increase with the remaining 29 items' prices unchanged.

The items which registered decrease in their prices during the week under review included tomatoes, egg hen (farm), potatoes, bananas, LPG cylinder (11 kg), onions, cooking oil (tin), vegetable ghee, vegetable ghee (loose),mustard oil, wheat, red chilly powder (loose) and wheat flour.

The items which recorded increase in their average prices included tea, garlic, sugar, chicken (farm), pulse mash (washed), pulse moong (washed),pulse gram (washed), gur, pulse masoor (washed), shirting and beef with bone.

The items with no change in their average prices during the week under review included rice basmati (broken), rice IRRI-6, bread plain, mutton,milk fresh, curd, powdered milk, salt powder, cooked beef, cooked daal, tea prepared, cigarettes, long cloth, lawn printed, georgette, gents sandal, gents chappal, ladies sandal, electricity charges, gas charges, kerosene oil, firewood whole, electric bulb, washing soap, match box, petrol super, Hi Speed Diesel,telephone local call charges and bathing soap.