Weekly SPI inflation down 0.43 percent

ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI)-based inflation for the week ended April 1, for the combined consumption group, witnessed a decrease of 0.43 percent, compared with the previous week, according to the latest data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Saturday.

SPI for the week under review in the abovementioned group was recorded at 147.12 points against 147.76 points registered in the previous week.

The Sensitive Price Indicator for the combined consumption group in the week under review witnessed an increase of 17.21 percent.

The weekly SPI with base year 2015/16=100 is covering 17 urban centres and 51 essential items for all expenditure groups.

The Sensitive Price Indicator for the lowest consumption group witnessed 0.32 percent decrease, as it went down to 157.93 points during the week under review from 158.43 points last week.

Meanwhile, SPI for the consumption groups from Rs17,732 to Rs22,888; Rs22,889 to Rs29,517; Rs29,518 to Rs44,175; and above Rs44,175/month decreased 0.38 percent, 0.39 percent, 0.43 percent and 0.46 percent, respectively.

During the week, prices of 15 items increased, 12 items prices decreased, while prices of 24 items remained unchanged.

The commodities, which recorded an increase in their average prices, included bananas, sugar, cooking oil (loose) mutton, beef, shirting, garlic, vegetable ghee (tin), vegetable ghee (loose), bread, curd, milk (fresh), wheat, washing soap and eggs.

Similarly the items, which recorded a decrease in their average prices, included chicken, tomatoes, diesel, onions, petrol, moong pulse, potatoes, LPG cylinder, gram pulse, and mustard oil.

The prices of the commodities that observed no change during the week under review included rice (basmati broken), rice (Irri 6/9), milk (powdered), gur, salt, chillies, tea (packet), cooked beef, cooked daal, tea (prepared), cigarettes, long cloth, lawn, georgette, gents chappal, gents sandal, ladies sandal, electricity charges, gas charges, firewood, energy saver, matchbox, telephone call, and toilet soap.