ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the week ended August 5, 2021 recorded an increase of 0.12 percent due to increase in food and non-food items including garlic (4.19 percent), LPG (3.67 percent), and petrol (1.44 percent), says the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
The year-on-year trend depicts, increase of 12.40 percent with most of the items increased, mainly, electricity for Q1 (60.81 percent), LPG (57.99 percent), mustard oil (35.89 percent), chilies powder (35.71 percent), vegetable ghee 1kg (33.89 percent), gents sandal (33.37 percent), vegetable ghee 2.5kg (32.45 percent), cooking oil 5-liter (32.26 percent), gents sponge chappal (25.13 percent), and match box (21.51 percent), while a major decrease was observed in the prices of potatoes (23.42 percent), moong (20.73 percent), tomatoes (4.19 percent), and chicken (2.13 percent).
According to the latest data, the SPI went up from 150.70 percent during the week ended July 29, 2021 to 150.88 percent during the week under review.
The SPI for the consumption groups up to Rs17,733 and from Rs17,733 to Rs22,888 decreased by 0.10 percent and 0.05 percent respectively, however, it increased for the groups — Rs22,889 to Rs29,517, Rs29,518 to Rs44,175 and for above Rs44,175 by 0.03 percent, 0.09 percent and 0.20 percent respectively.
During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 17 (33.33 percent) items increased 11 (21.56 percent) items decreased, and 23 (45.1 percent) items remained constant, said the PBS in weekly SPI data.
The commodities, which recorded increase in their average prices include garlic (4.19 percent), LPG (3.67 percent), petrol super per litre (1.44 percent), bread plain (0.86 percent), cooked daal (0.80 percent), cooking oil Dalda or other similar brand (sn), 5-litre tin each (0.68 percent), masoor (0.61 percent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib 2.5kg tin each (0.48 percent), milk fresh (0.35 percent), mutton (0.34 percent), curd (0.27 percent), pulse gram (0.25 percent), energy saver (0.24 percent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib or other superior quality 1kg pouch each (0.22 percent), beef with bone (0.21 percent), powdered milk Nido 390gm polybag each (0.18 percent), and gur (0.07 percent).
According to the PBS, the decrease was observed in the prices of tomatoes (18 percent), bananas (8.13 percent), chicken (3.86 percent), eggs (3.53 percent), moong (2.11 percent), onions (1.37 percent), potatoes (0.37 percent), maash (0.24 percent), rice irri-6/9 (0.16 percent), wheat flour bag 20kg (0.10 percent), and sugar (0.05 percent).
The prices of commodities, which remained constant included rice basmati broken (average quality), salt powdered, chilies powder, tea Lipton Yellow Label, cigarettes, shirting, lawn printed Gul Ahmed/Al Karam, Georgette, gents sandal Bata pair, electricity charges for Q1, gas charges, firewood whole, hi-speed diesel, matchbox, and telephone call charges.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021