Weekly inflation dips 0.18pc

ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI)-based weekly inflation for the week ended on August 29 decreased by 0.18pc as compared to the previous week.

The SPI for the week under review in the combined income group was recorded at 271.33 points as against 271.83 points registered in the previous week, according to the data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Monday.

The weekly SPI has been computed with base 2007-08=100, covering 17 urban centres and 53 essential items for all income groups and combined.

The SPI for the lowest income group witnessed a 0.12pc decrease, from 250.54 points in the last week to 250.24 points during the week under review.

As compared to the corresponding week of 2018, the SPI for the combined group in the week under review witnessed an increase of 19.44pc, while that of the lowest income group increased by 16.23pc.

Meanwhile, the SPI for the income groups from Rs8,001-12,000, Rs12,001-18,000; 8,001-35,000 and above Rs35,000 per month decreased by 0.15pc, 0.17pc, 0.19pc and 0.20pc respectively.

During the week under review, average prices of 12 items registered a decrease, while that of 16 items prices increased with the prices of 25 items remaining unchanged.

The prices of the commodities that recorded a decrease in their prices during the week under review included tomatoes, bananas, tomatoes, chicken, garlic, potatoes, masoor pulse, eggs, moong pulse, sugar, LPG cylinder and rice (Irri-6).

The items, which recorded an increase in their average prices, included vegetable ghee, bread, curd, washing soap, wheat flour, wheat, vegetable ghee (tin), gur, cooking oil (tin), milk (fresh), gram pulse, mash pulse, cooked beef, cooked daal, tea (prepared) and red chilly.

Similarly, the prices of the commodities that observed no change in their price included rice (basmati broken), beef, mutton, milk (powdered), mustard oil, salt, tea (packet), cigarettes, long cloth, shirting, lawn, georgette, gents sandal, gents chappal, ladies sandal, electricity charges, gas charges, kerosene oil, firewood, electric bulb, matchbox, petrol, diesel, local telephone call and bath soap.

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