ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive price Indicator (SPI) based weekly inflation for the week ended on December 10, for the combined consumption group, witnessed nominal decrease of 0.26 percent as compared to the previous week.
The SPI for the week under review in the above mentioned group was recorded at 141.04 points against 141.41 points registered in the previous week, according to the latest data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
As compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined consumption group in the week under review witnessed an increase of 8.44 percent.
The weekly SPI with base year 2015-16=100 is covering 17 urban centers and 51 essential items for all expenditure groups.
The Sensitive Price Indicator for the lowest consumption group up to Rs17,732 witnessed 0.56 percent decrease and went down from 148.29 points in last week to 147.46 points during the week under review.
Meanwhile, the SPI for the consumption groups from Rs17,732-22,888, Rs22,889-29,517; Rs29,518-44,175; Rs29,518 to Rs44,175 and above Rs 44,175 per month also decreased by 0.48 percent, 0.38 percent; 0.30 percent and 0.16 percent respectively.
During the week, prices of 13 items decreased, 16 items increased while that of 22 items remained constant.
The items, which recorded decrease in their average prices, included potatoes, sugar, onions, tomatoes, masoor pulse, gur, wheat flour, mash pulse, rice (Basmati broken), gram pulse, moong pulse, LPG Cylinder and curd.
The commodities, which recorded increase in their average prices, included eggs, garlic, vegetable ghee, vegetable ghee, firewood, mustard oil, washing soap, rice (Irri-6/9), beef, bananas, chicken, cooked beef, shirting, cooked beef, cooking oil (lose), mutton, cooked daal.
Similarly, the prices of the commodities that observed no change during the week under review included bread, milk (fresh), powdered milk, salt, chilies, tea (packet), tea (prepared), cigarettes, long cltoh, lawn, georgette, gents sandal, gents chappal, ladies sandal, electricity charges, gas charges, energy saver, match box, petrol, diesel, telephone call charges and toilet soap.
According to PBS analysis, this decrease is mainly due to fall in prices of food items i.e. potatoes (7.31%), sugar (6.97%), onions (6.78%),tomatoes (1.22%), pulse masoor (0.96%), gur (0.79%), wheat flour bag (0.72%), pulse mash (0.32%), rice Basmati broken (0.30%), pulse gram (0.26%) & pulse moong (0.22%) and non-food items i.e. LPG (0.22%) with joint impact of (-0.51) into the overall SPI for combined group of (-0.26%).
