Weekly inflation increase

ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), for the week ended on 30 August 2011, for the lowest income group up to Rs.3,000, has registered increase of 0.90 percent over the previous week.

The SPI for the week under review in the above mentioned group was recorded at 314.44 points as against 311.65 points registered in the previous week, according provisional figures of Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS).

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

SPI for the combined group registered increase of 0.90 percent as it went up from 304.83 points in the previous week to 307.58 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 16.33 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 witnessed increase of 0.93 percent, 0.88 percent and 0.75 percent respectively.

During the week under review average prices of 3 items registered decrease, while that of 18 items increase with the remaining 32 items' prices unchanged.

The items which recorded decrease in their average prices during the week under review included garlic, moong pulse (washed) and egg hen (farm).

The items which registered increase in their prices included tomatoes, onions, potatoes, chicken (farm), wheat flour (average quality), beef, diesel, sugar, red chillies, rice basmati (broken), gur, LPG (11 kg cylender), mutton, mustard oil, bananas, vegetable ghee (loose), wheat (average quality), gram pulse (washed).

The items with no change in their average prices during the week under review included rice (irri-6), masoor pulse (washed), mash pulse (washed), bread plain (mid size), milk (fresh), milk (powdered), curd, vegetalbe ghee (tin), cooking oil (tin), salt (powdered), tea (packet), tea (prepared), cooked beef, cooked dal, cigarettes, coarse latha, lawn, voil (printed), shirting, sandal (gents), sandal (ladies), chappal, kerosene, firewood, electricity bulb, match box, washing soap, bath soap, gas charges (up to 3.3719 MMBTU), electricity charges, petrol, telephone local call.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011