The weekly Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) inflation decreased by 0.38 percent during the week ending December 4. The provisional data, released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics shows that the SPI for the week under review was recorded at 212.10 point against 212.90 over the same period of last year. The SPI inflation decreased by 0.89 percent this week as compared to the previous week, coming down from 214.00 points to 212.10 points.
The weekly SPI has been computed with base 2007-2008=100, covering 17 urban centres and 53 essential items for all income groups. The SPI for the lowest income group up to Rs 8,000 registered a decrease of 0.20 percent during the week under review as compared to the same period last year. During the week, average prices of eight items registered an increase, while that of 18 registered a decrease. The prices of 27 essential items remained the same during week under review.
The eight essential items which registered increase in prices during the week under review included cooked Daal plate, pulse Masoor washed, pulse gram washed, cooked beef plate, pulse Moong washed, red chili powder loose, firewood and chicken live. The 18 items which registered decrease in prices during the week under review included potatoes, petrol, tomatoes, hi-speed diesel (HSD), kerosene oil, onions, LPG cylinder 11kg,sugar, vegetable ghee loose, Gur, eggs, wheat flour bag, pulse mash washed, cooking oil tin, rice basmati broken, mustard oil, wheat and bananas.
The 27 items prices of which remain unchanged during the week under review included rice irri-6 (Punjab/Sindh), bread plain medium size, beef, mutton, milk fresh, curd, powdered milk Nido, vegetable ghee tin, salt powder loose, Lahori, garlic, tea Lipton yellow label, tea prepared, cigarettes k-2, long cloth, shirting, lawn printed, georgette, gents sandal Bata, gents Chappal Sponge Bata, ladies sandal Bata, electricity charges, gas charges, electric bulb energy saver, washing soap 200-250 gm, match box, telephone local call charges and soap lifebuoy.