SPI up by 1.11pc WoW

ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Index (SPI) for the week ended on March 7, 2024 increased by 1.11 per cent due to an increase in the prices of onions (33.86 per cent), potatoes (23.81 per cent), tomatoes (16.42 per cent), bananas (7.12 per cent), LPG (4.43 per cent), and petrol and firewood (1.49 per cent) each, says Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

The year-on-year trend depicts an increase of 32.39 per cent mainly due to an increase in the prices of gas charges for first quarter (q1) (570 per cent), tomatoes (176.55 per cent), chilies powder (81.74 per cent), gents sponge chappal (58.05 per cent), wheat flour (57.04 per cent), gents sandal (53.37 per cent), onions (51.56 per cent), garlic (45.69 per cent), gur (44.94 per cent), sugar (41.69 per cent), and potatoes (39.08 per cent) while decrease is observed in the prices of vegetable ghee 1kg (20.15 per cent), cooking oil 5-litre (19.53 per cent), bananas (17.95 per cent), mustard oil (16.20 per cent), vegetable ghee 2.5 kg (16.04 per cent), LPG (4.20 per cent), chicken (1.51 per cent), and cigarettes (0.05 per cent).

During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 14 (27.45 per cent) items increased, 14 (27.45 per cent) items decreased and 23 (45.10 per cent) items remained stable.

The SPI for the week under review was recorded at 322.86 points against 319.30 points registered in the previous week, according to the PBS data released on Friday.

The SPI for the consumption group up to Rs17,732, Rs17,732-Rs22,888, Rs22,889-Rs29,517, Rs29,518-Rs44,175 and above Rs44,175 increased by 1.69 per cent, 1.45 per cent, 1.20 per cent, 1.15 per cent and 0.99 per cent respectively.

The items prices of which increased during the period review include onions (33.86 per cent), potatoes (23.81 per cent), tomatoes (16.42 per cent), bananas (7.12 per cent), LPG (4.43 per cent), eggs (2.66 per cent), petrol super (1.49 per cent), firewood whole 40kg (1.49 per cent), beef with bone (1.38 per cent), mutton (0.50 per cent), cooked daal (0.41 per cent), long cloth 57” Gul Ahmed/Al Karam (0.27 per cent), mustard oil (0.17 per cent), and Maash (0.06 per cent).

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024