Weekly inflation increases by 0.25 percent

The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), for the week ended on April 14 for the lowest income group up to Rs 3,000, has registered increase of 0.25 percent over the previous week. The SPI for the week under review in the above mentioned group was recorded at 300.90 points as against 300.16 points registered in the previous week.
According to the provisional figures released by the Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS), 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. The SPI for the combined group registered increase of 0.33 per cent as it went up from 286.51 points in the previous week to 287.45 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 15.67 per cent. As compared to the last week, the SPI for the income groups from Rs 3001-5000, Rs 5001-12000 and above Rs 12,000, increased by 0.27 per cent, 0.32 per cent and 0.31 per cent, respectively.
During the week under review average prices of 13 items registered decrease, while that of 18 items increase with the remaining 22 items' prices remained unchanged. The items, which recorded decrease in their average prices during the week under review included garlic, sugar, egg hen (farm), sugar, masoor pulse (washed), wheat (average quality), gram (washed), chicken (farm), red chillies, bananas, Mash pulse (washed), wheat flour, gur and vegetable ghee (loose). The items, which registered increase in their prices included tomato, potato, onions, lawn, vegetable ghee (tin), cooking oil (tin), milk (fresh),curd, rice (irri-6), shirting, rice basmati (broken), coarse, latha, moong pulse (washed), cooked beef (plate), firewood, mustard oil, LPG (11 kg cylinder) and beef. The items with no change in their average prices during the week under review included mutton, bread (plain), milk (powdered), salt powder, tea packet, tea cup (prepared), cooked dal (plate), cigarettes, voil printed, sandal (gents), sandal (ladies), chapel (spang), kerosene, electric bulb (60 wats), match box, washing soap, bath soap, gas charges, electric charges, petrol, diesel and local telephone call.