Islamabad: The weekly inflation for the week ended on May 18 for the combined income groups witnessed nominal increase of 0.06 percent as compared to the previous week.
According to the data released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Friday, the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the week under review in the above mentioned group was recorded at 220.61 points against 220.47 points last week. As compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined group in the week under review witnessed an increase of 2.77 percent.
The weekly SPI has been computed with base 2007, 2008=100, covering 17 urban centers and 53 essential items for all income groups. However, the SPI for the lowest income group up to Rs8,000 decreased by 0.02 percent as it went down from 209.49 points in the previous week to 209.44 points in the week under review. As compared to the last week, the SPI for the income groups from Rs8001 to 12,000, Rs12,001 to 18,000, Rs18,001 to 35,000 and above Rs35,000, increased by 0.01 percent, 0.04 percent, 0.07 percent and 0.10 percent, respectively.
During the week under review, average prices of 11 items registered decrease, while 15 items increased with the remaining 27 items’ prices unchanged. The items, which registered decrease in their prices during the week under review included tomatoes, onions, LPG cylinder, sugar, milk (powdered), wheat, garlic, moong pulse, masoor pulse, wheat and red chilly.
The items, which registered increase in their prices during the week under review included potatoes, bananas, eggs, chicken, bath soap, long cloth, gur, rice (basmati broken), curd, lawn, mash pulse, vegetable ghee (tin), vegetable ghee (loose) and cooking oil. The items with no change in their average prices during the week under review included rice (irri-6), bread, beef, mutton, milk (fresh), mustard oil, salt(powder), tea (packet), cooked beef, cooked daal, tea (prepared), cigarettes, gents sandal, gents chappal, ladies sandal, electricity charges, gas charges, kerosene oil, firewood, electric bulb, washing soap, match box, petrol, diesel telephone local call.
