ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the week ended February 3, 2022 recorded an increase of 1.35 percent due to increase in the prices of food items including tomatoes (90.13 percent), chicken (10.50 percent), garlic (5.67 percent), and non-food items, LPG (1.54 percent) and energy saver (1.06 percent), says the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

The year-on-year trend depicts increase of 19.53percent mainly due to increase in tomatoes (232.93percent), electricity for q1 (81.39percent), LPG (54.24percent), mustard oil (49.61percent), cooking oil 5 litre (46.29percent), washing soap (41.74percent), vegetable ghee 1 kg (41.31percent), vegetable ghee 2.5kg (41 percent), masoor (39 percent), garlic (35.68percent), petrol (34.87percent), and diesel (27.35percent), while major decrease observed in the prices of moong (26.55percent), chillies powdered (22.44percent), onions (5.58percent), potatoes (2.61percent), and chicken (1.86percent).

According to the latest data, the SPI went up from 167.11 percent during the week ended January 27, 2022 to 169.37 percent during the week under review.

The SPI for the consumption groups up to Rs17,732, Rs17,733 to Rs22,888, Rs22,889 to Rs29,517, Rs29,518 to Rs44,175 and for above Rs44,175 increased by 1.54 percent, 1.60 percent, 1.48 percent, 1.43percent,and 1.23 percent respectively.

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During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 22 (43.14 percent) items increased, six (11.76 percent) items decreased, and 23 (45.10 percent) items remained stable, said the PBS in weekly SPI data.

The commodities, which recorded increase in their average prices included tomatoes (90.13 percent), chicken (10.50 percent), garlic (5.67 percent), bananas (2.47 percent), mustard oil (2.38 percent), LPG (1.54 percent), energy saver (1.06 percent), pulse gram (0.92 percent), salt powdered (0.91 percent), rice basmati broken (0.73 percent), shirting (0.68 percent), toilet soap (0.48 percent), cooking oil Dalda or other similar brand (sn), 5 litre tin each (0.47 percent), firewood whole (0.42 percent), mutton (0.39 percent), wheat flour bag 20kg (0.28 percent), masoor (0.16 percent), beef with bone (0.16 percent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib or other superior quality 1kg pouch each (0.14 percent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib 2.5kg tin each (0.14 percent), milk fresh (0.12 percent), and curd (0.11 percent).

The commodities, which recorded decrease in their prices during the period under review include potatoes (6.06 percent), onions (3.59 percent), eggs (3.53 percent), sugar (0.83 percent), maash (0.48 percent), and moong (0.19 percent).

According to the PBS data, sugar prices declined from Rs91.17 per kg to Rs90.41 per kg; however, a visit to various markets revealed that sugar was being sold at Rs98-100 per kg.

Further, according to the bureau’s data wheat flour bag 20kg increased from Rs1166.48 per 20kg to Rs1,169.80 per 20kg, but in actual the wheat flour was available at Rs80-90 per kg in retail.

The commodities, which prices remained unchanged during the period included rice irri-6/9 (Sindh/Punjab), bread plain, powdered milk Nido390 gm polybag each, gur, chilies powder National 200 gm packet each, tea Lipton Yellow Label, cooked beef, cooked daal, tea prepared, cigarettes Capstan 20’s packet each, long cloth 57” Gul Ahmed/Al Karam, lawn printed Gul Ahmed/Al Karam, Georgette, gents sandal Bata pair, gents sponge chappal Bata pair, ladies sandal Bata pair, electricity charges for q1 per unit, gas charges up to 3.3719 mmbtu, Sufi washing soap, match box, petrol super, hi-speed diesel, and telephone call charges.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022

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