ISLAMABAD: The weekly inflation, measured by the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the week ended January 28 for the combined income group has surged by 0.06 percent as compared to the previous week.
According to data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the SP) for the week under review in the above mentioned group was recorded at 217.09 points against 216.09 points registered in the previous week.
Similarly, as compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined group in the week under review increased by 4.12 percent. The weekly SPI has been computed with base 2007-2008=100, covering 17 urban centres and 53 essential items for all income groups and combined. Meanwhile, the SPI for the lowest income group up to Rs 8000 was decreased by 0.02 percent as it went down from 207.83 points in the previous week to 207.79 points in the week under review.
As compared to the last week, the SPI for the income groups from Rs 8001-12,000, Rs 12,001-18,000 and 18,001-35,000 increased by 0.00 percent, 0.03 percent, 0.05 percent and 0.09 percent respectively. During the week under review average prices of 11 items registered decrease, while that of 11 items increase with the remaining 26 items’ prices unchanged. The items which registered decrease in their prices during the week under review including onion, potatoes, chicken farm (live), pulse gram (washed), LPG cylinder, garlic pulse moong (washed), gur, wheat flour, sugar and vegetable ghee (loose).
The items which recorded increase in their average prices included tomatoes, bananas, kerosene oil, wheat, cigarettes, pulse masoor (washed), rice basmati, electric bulb, cooked beef, rice irri-6, fire wood, georgette, red chilly, pulse mash and mutton. The items with no change in their average prices during the week under review included bread plain, beef, milk fresh, curd, powdered milk, mustard oil, cooking oil (tin), vegetable ghee, salt powder, tea, long cloth, shirting, lawn printed, gents sleeper shoes, ladies sandal, electricity charges, washing soap, gas charges, match box, petrol supper, hi-speed diesel, telephone calls and bath soap.