Weekly SPI inflation down by 0.83pc

The Sensitive Price Index (SPI) based inflation for combined income group during the week ended on December 5, 2019 has witnessed a reduction of 0.83 percent against November 28, 2019 as it came down from 131.87 points to 130.77 points, said data released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) here on Tuesday.

According to the PBS, the weekly inflation related data based on 2015-16 mechanism covering 17 urban centers and 51 essential items for all expenditure groups the SPI for combined income group on annual basis increased by 18.57 percent from 110.29 points on December 6, 2018 to 130.77 points on December 10, 2019.

According to the data, the SPI for income group with monthly income of Rs 17,732 registered a decline of 1.18 percent on weekly basis from 136.80 points to 135.18 points while on annual basis it went up by 19 percent from 113.61 points to 135.18 points. For the income group of Rs 17,732-22,888, the SPI declined by 1.10 percent from 132.27 points to 130.81 points and on annual basis it witnessed an increase of 19.42 percent from 109.54 points to 130.81 points.

For the monthly income group of Rs 22,889-29,517, weekly inflation went down by 1 percent from 133.46 points to 132.12 points and on annual basis it went up by 21.58 percent from 108.67 points to 132.12 points. Weekly inflation for the income group with monthly income of Rs 29,518-44,175 went down by 0.96 percent from 130.16 points to 128.91 points and on annual basis SPI for the above income group jumped up by 20.33 percent from 107.13 points to 128.91 points.

For the income group of Rs 44,175 or above monthly income, weekly inflation went down by 0.72 percent from 133.16 points to 132.20 points and on annual basis SPI for the income group witnessed an increase of 17.73 percent from 112.29 points to 132.20 points.

During the week under review, prices of the following 14 commodities witnessed an increase: bananas, electricity charges, Moong Pulse, Gur, firewood, mustard oil, eggs, ghee, liquefied petroleum gas, cooking oil, mutton, Irri-6 rice, Basmati rice and Masoor pulse.

While average prices of 12 items during the week under review registered reduction which included tomatoes, onions, chicken, potatoes, high speed diesel, garlic, refined sugar, wheat flour, pulse Mash, pulse gram, and petrol.

According to the PBS, during the period prices of 25 items remained unchanged, including, plain bread, toilet soap, fresh milk, gent sandals, ladies sandals, yogurt, telephone call charges, clothing, powdered salt and others.