CPI inflation swells to 11.47pc during Jul-Sept

ISLAMABAD: The CPI inflation swelled to 11.47 percent for July-September 2011 over the same period of last year, according to Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS).

Official data for the period under review, released by the FBS on Monday, showed that Sensitive Price Index (SPI) and Wholesale Price Index (WPI) for July-September 2011 over the same period of last year increased by 10.68 and 18.62 per cent respectively.

Analysis of the data showed that monthly inflation witnessed an increase of 1.03 percent in September 2011 over previous month. However, the official attributed the rise to the damage to vegetables in Sindh by floods. SPI and WPI increased by 1.34 percent and 0.25 percent in September 2011 over August 2011.

The CPI in food and non-alcoholic beverages in September 2011 over the same period of corresponding period increased by 9.69 percent, non-perishable food items 14.25 percent, perishable food items 9.94 percent, alcoholic beverages & tobacco 7.57 percent, clothing & footwear 14.86 percent, housing water, electric, gas fuels 7.89 percent, furnishing & household equipment maintenance 14.17 percent, health 11.45 percent, transport 14.91 percent, communication 2.06 percent, recreation & culture 5.35 percent, education 14.13 percent, restaurant & hotels 18.24 percent, and miscellaneous 23.83 percent.

In food & non-alcoholic beverages, the price of onion went up by 40.02 percent, fresh vegetable 21.72 percent, tomatoes 15.66 percent, egg 6.74 percent, gram whole 4.77 percent, meat 2.49 percent, honey 2.33 percent, gur 2.24 percent, dry fruits 1.95 percent, wheat 1.93 percent, nimco & spices 1.92 percent each, wheat flour & mustard oil 1.87 percent each, sugar 1.85 percent, condiments 1.84 percent, beverages 1.51 percent, cereals 1.42 percent, potatoes 1.24 percent, sweetmeat 1.13 percent, milk products 1.08 percent, and rice 0.98 percent.

Clothing & footwear group, the price of woolen cloth increased by 2.76 percent, readymade garment 2.26 percent, dopatta 1.72 percent, cotton cloth 1.46 percent, woollen readymade garments 1.44 percent, tailoring 1.18 percent and cleaning & laundering 0.99 percent. The cost of water supply went up by 3.16 percent and construction input item 2.13 percent.

Drugs medicine price witnessed an increase of 2.42 percent, Transport:- Motor vehicle 1.36 percent. The main commodities, which showed a decrease in their prices during September, 2011 over August, 2011 in food & non-alcoholic beverages group were chicken & fresh fruits 8.54 percent, pulse moong 2.11 percent, pulse masoor 1.64 percent, pulse mash washed 1.29 percent and beans 1.12 percent.