Weekly inflation increases by 0.37 percent

ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) based weekly inflation for the week ended on April 25 for the combined income groups increased by 0.37 percent as compared to the previous week.

The SPI for the week under review in the above mentioned group was recorded at 252.09 points against 251.15 points last week, according to the latest data released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Friday.

As compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined group in the week under review witnessed increase of 12.91 per cent.

The weekly SPI has been computed with base 2007, 2008=100, covering 17 urban centers and 53 essential items for all income groups.

Meanwhile, the SPI for the lowest income group up to Rs 8,000 increased by 0.40 percent as it went up from 230.24 points in the previous week to 231.15 points in the week under review.

As compared to the last week, the SPI for the income groups from Rs 8001 to 12,000, Rs 12,001 to 18,000, Rs 18,001 to 35,000 and above Rs 35,000, also increased by 0.38 percent, 0.39 percent, 0.37 percent and 0.35 percent respectively.

During the week under review, average prices of 10 items registered decrease, while 20 items increased with the remaining 23 items’ prices unchanged.

The items, which registered decrease in their prices during the week under review included chicken, LPG Cylinder, wheat, wheat flour, firewood, red chilly, cooking oil (tin), vegetable ghee (tin), vegetable ghee (loose) an masoor pulse.

The items, which registered increase in their prices during the week under review included tomatoes, onions, potatoes, eggs, bananas, moong pulse, sugar, mash pulse, garlic, gram pulse, tea (prepared), mutton, shirting, curd, brea, beef, rice (irri-6), cigarettes, cooked daal, and gur.

The items with no change in their average prices during the week under review included rice (basmati broken), milk (fresh), milk (powdered), mustard oil, salt, salt, tea (packet), cooked beef, long cloth, lawn, georgette, gents sandal, gents chappal, ladies sandal, electricity charges, gas charges, kerosene oil, electric bulb, washing soap, match box, petrol, hi speed diesel, telephone local call and bath soap.