ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the week ended September 2, 2021 recorded an increase of 0.67 percent due to increase in food items prices including chicken (13.17 percent), onions (6.64 percent), garlic (5.37 percent), masoor (4.20 percent), eggs (3.23 percent), wheat flour (2.39 percent), and sugar (1.67 percent), says the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
The year-on-year trend depicts, increase of 12.53 percent with most of the items increased, mainly, LPG (50.57 percent), chicken (50.23 percent), electricity for Q1 (46.55 percent), vegetable ghee 1kg (38.88 percent), mustard oil (36.98 percent), vegetable ghee 2.5kg (36.47 percent), chilies powder (35.71 percent), cooking oil 5 liter (34.98 percent), gents sandal (33.37 percent), eggs (28.63 percent), gents sponge chappal (25.13 percent), and washing soap (21.47 percent), while a major decrease was observed in the prices of potatoes (28.01 percent), tomatoes (27.42 percent), and moong (20.39 percent).
According to the latest data, the SPI went up from 152.14 percent during the week ended August 26, 2021 to 153.16 percent during the week under review.
The SPI for the consumption groups up to Rs 17,733, Rs 17,733 to Rs 22,888, Rs 22,889 to Rs 29,517, Rs 29,518 to Rs 44,175 and for above Rs 44,175 increased by 0.76 percent, 0.80 percent, 0.76 percent, 0.74 percent and 0.63 percent respectively.
During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 17 (33.33 percent) items increased,eight (15.69 percent) items decreased, and 26 (50.98 percent) items remained constant, said the PBS in weekly SPI data.
The commodities, which recorded increase in their average prices include chicken (13.17 percent), onions (6.64 percent), garlic (5.37 percent), masoor (4.20 percent), eggs (3.23 percent), wheat flour bag 20kg (2.39 percent), tea prepared (1.72 percent), sugar (1.67 percent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib or other superior quality 1 kg pouch each (0.95 percent), pulse gram (0.64 percent), gur (0.56 percent), maash (0.52 percent), cooking oil Daldaor other similar brand (sn), 5 litre tin each (0.22 percent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib 2.5kg tin each (0.20 percent), mustard oil (0.20 percent), beef (0.16 percent), and mutton (0.05 percent).
According to the PBS, the decrease was observed in the prices of bananas (5.35 percent), LPG (2.74 percent), tomatoes (1.57 percent), moong (1.43 percent), hi-speed diesel per litre (1.32 percent), petrol super per litre (1.25 percent), potatoes (0.55 percent), and rice basmati broken (0.39 percent).
The prices of commodities, which remained constant included Rice IRRI-6/9 (Sindh/Punjab), bread plain (small size), milk fresh, curd, powdered milk Nido 390 gm polybag each, salt powdered (National/Shan), chilies powder National, tea Lipton Yellow Label, cooked beef, cooked daal, cigarettes Capstan 20’s packet each, long cloth 57” Gul Ahmed/Al Karam, shirting, lawn printed Gul Ahmed/Al Karam, Georgette, gents sandal Bata pair, gents sponge chappal Bata pair, ladies sandal Bata pair, electricity charges for Q1 per unit, gas charges, firewood whole 40kg, energy saver, Sufi washing soap, match box, telephone call charges, and toilet soap.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021