Kitchen items' prices ease as SPI falls 0.23 pc: PBS

ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) based weekly inflation for the week ended on December 03, for the combined consumption group, witnessed decrease of 0.23 percent as compared to the previous week.

The SPI for the week under review in the above mentioned group was recorded at 141.41 points against 1142.71 points registered in the previous week, according to the latest data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

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 7.68 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 Rs. 17,732 witnessed 0.76 percent decrease and went down from 149.42 points in last week to 148.29 points during the week under review.

Meanwhile, the SPI for the consumption groups from Rs. 17,732-22,888, Rs. 22,889-29,517; Rs. 29,518-44,175; Rs. 29,518 to Rs. 44,175 and above Rs. 44,175 per month also decreased by 0.59 percent, 0.42 percent; 0.29 percent and 0.06 percent respectively.

During the week, prices of 13 items decreased, 17 items increased while that of 21 items remained constant.

The items, which recorded decrease in their average prices, included tomatoes, onions, potatoes, sugar, gur, garlic, wheat flour, gram pulse, rice (Basmati broken), masoor pulse, beef, rice (Irri 6/9) and mutton.

The commodities, which recorded increase in their average prices, included chicken, diesel, eggs, bananas, firewood, vegetable ghee (loose) curd, vegetable ghee (tin), cooking oil (loose), washing soap, LPG Cylinder, moong pulse, mustard oil, cooked beef, milk (fresh), mash pulse and powdered milk.

Similarly, the prices of the commodities that observed no change during the week under review included bread (plain), salt, chillies, tea (packet), cooked daal, tea (prepared), cigarettes, long cloth, shirting, lawn, georgette, gents sandal, gents chappal, ladies sandal, electricity charges, gas charges, energy saver, match box, petrol, telephone call charges and toilet soap.

According to PBS analysis, the decrease was mainly due to fall in prices of food items including tomatoes (10.78pc), onions (8.15pc), potatoes (7.81pc), sugar (7.56pc), gur (1.39pc), garlic (1.22pc), wheat flour bag (0.38pc), pulse gram (0.21pc), rice Basmati broken (0.19pc), pulse Masoor (0.09pc), beef (0.08pc), rice IRRI-6/9 (0.03pc) and mutton (0.03pc) with joint impact of (-0.85) into the overall SPI for combined group of (-0.23pc).