Weekly inflation up 0.71pc

ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI)-based weekly inflation for the week ended on March 13 increased by 0.71pc as compared to the previous week.

The SPI for the week under review in the combined consumption group was recorded at 129.66 points against 128.74 points registered in the previous week, according to latest data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

The weekly SPI 100 was collected with base year 2015-16, covering 17 urban centres and 51 essential items for all expenditure groups.

The SPI for the lowest consumption group, up to Rs17,732, also witnessed 0.75pc increase as it went up from 132.60 points in last week to 133.60 points during the week under review.

As compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined consumption group in the week under review witnessed a surge of 12.40pc, while for the lowest group, it increased by 0.71pc.

Meanwhile, the SPI for the consumption groups from Rs17,733 to Rs22,888, from Rs22,889 to Rs29,517, Rs29,518 to Rs44,175 and above Rs44,175 per month grew by 0.78pc, 0.74pc, 0.78pc and 0.66pc, respectively.

During the week under review, average prices of nine items registered a decrease, while that of 14 items prices increased with prices of 28 items remaining unchanged.

The prices of commodities that recorded an increase in their prices included chicken farm (live), potatoes, eggs (farm), onion, long cloth, curd, wheat flour, shirting, mutton, milk fresh, beef, sugar, pulse gram and pulse moong.

On the other hand, the prices of commodities that witnessed a decline included LPG, garlic, pulse (masoor, mash), mustard oil, gur, bananas and firewood.

Commodities with no change in their prices included rice (basmati, irri-6), bread, powdered milk, cooking oil, vegetable ghee (tin), ghee pouch, salt powder, chillies powder, tea, cooked beef, cooked daal, cooked beef, tea (prepared), cigarettes, lawn, georgette, gents sandal, gent sponge, ladies sandal, electricity charges, gas charges, energy saver, washing soap, matchbox, petrol, hi-speed diesel, telephone call and toilet soap.

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