SPI-based weekly inflation up by 0.51 percent

ISLAMABAD-Inflation based on Sensitive Price Index (SPI) recorded an increase of 0.51 percent during the week ended on April 19 as prices of food commodities are enhancing in the country.

The SPI based inflation has shown an increase of 0.51 percent during the week ended on April 19 over the preceding week, according to the latest data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). The SPI was recorded at 251.83 points during the week ended on April 19 as compared to 250.56 point during the week ended on April 13. On annual basis, the weekly inflation has enhanced to 47.23 percent.

According to the PBS data, during the week, out of 51 items, prices of 29 (56.86 percent) items increased, 08 (15.69 percent) items decreased and 14 (27.45 percent) items remained stable. The SPI for the current week ended on 19th April, 2023 increased by 0.51 percent. Major increase was observed in the prices of potatoes (3.79 percent), tea Lipton (3.61 percent), gur (3.40 percent), bread (2.48 percent), chicken (2.00 percent), bananas (1.68 percent), rice basmati broken (1.54 percent) and rice Irri-6/9 (1.22 percent). In non-food items, price of LPG enhanced by 4.75 percent, petrol 3.67 percent and match box 2.51 percent.

On the other hand, decrease was observed in the prices of tomatoes (13.11 percent), onions (4.62 percent), garlic (3.59 percent), sugar (1.52 percent), wheat flour (0.93 percent), mustard oil (0.56 percent), cigarettes (0.26 percent) and pulse gram (0.22 percent). The prices of following commodities remained unchanged including cooking oil, vegetable ghee, chilies powder, long cloth Gul Ahmed/Al Karam, gents sandal Bata, gents sponge Chappal Bata, ladies sandal Bata, electricity charges, gas charges upto 3.3719 MMBTU, firewood whole, energy saver Philips 14 watt, hi-speed diesel, and telephone call charges during the period under review.

According to the PBS data, the Sensitive Price Indicator for the lowest consumption group up to Rs17,732 witnessed 0.25 percent increase and went up to 257.73 points this week from 257.09 points in last week. Meanwhile, the SPI for the consumption groups from Rs 17,732-22,888; Rs 22,889-29,517; Rs 29,518-44,175 and above Rs 44,175 witnessed an increase of 0.34 percent, 0.30 percent, 0.37 percent and 0.63 percent respectively.

The year on year trend depicts increase of 47.23 percent, cigarettes (151.45 percent), wheat flour (143.88 percent), gas charges (108.38 percent), tea Lipton (104.28 percent), diesel (102.84 percent), potatoes (98.74 percent), bananas (98.42 percent), eggs (97.80 percent), petrol (87.81 percent), rice basmati broken (87.30 percent), rice Irri-6/9 (83.52 percent), pulse moong (68.94 percent), bread (59.22 percent) and pulse mash (58.35 percent), while decrease is observed in the prices of tomatoes (8.65 percent) and chilies powdered (6.48 percent).

Article source: https://www.nation.com.pk/21-Apr-2023/spi-based-weekly-inflation-up-by-0-51-percent