Weekly inflation eases 0.25 percent

ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) based weekly inflation for the week ended on May 02 for the combined income groups decreased by 0.25 percent as compared to the previous week.

The SPI for the week under review in the above mentioned group was recorded at 251.47 points against 252.09 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 12.38 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 decreased by 0.21 percent as it went down from 231.15 points in the previous week to 230.67 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 decreased by 0.23 percent, 0.25 percent, 0.25 percent and 0.24 percent respectively.

During the week under review, average prices of 08 items registered decrease, while 18 items increased with the remaining 27 items’ prices unchanged.

The items, which registered decrease in their prices during the week under review tomatoes, eggs, chicken, onions, wheat, cooking oil, potatoes and vegetable ghee.

The items, which registered increase in their prices during the week under review included moong pulse, mash pulse, masoor pulse, bread, garlic, LPG Cylinder, Gur, bananas, sugar, shirting, mutton, mustard oil, beef, gram pulse, georgette, wheat floor, red chilly and curd.

The items with no change in their average prices during the week under review included rice (basmati broken), rice (irri-6), milk (fresh), milk (powdered), vegetable ghee (tin), salt, tea (packet), cooked beef, cooked daal, tea (prepared), cigerattes, long cloth, lawn, gents sandal, gents chappal, ladies sandal, electricity charges, kerosene oil, firewood, electric bulb, washing soap, match box, petrol, diesel, telephone local call and bath soap.