ISLAMABAD: The prices of essential kitchen items witnessed a slight decline as the weekly inflation measured by the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), recorded a fall of 0.78 per cent for the combined consumption groups during the week finished on February 15, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported on Friday.
As per the PBS data, the SPI for the under reviewed week in the above-mentioned group was observed at 315.18 points as against 317.65 points during the early week.
Comparing the corresponding week to the last year, the SPI for the combined consumption group in the under reviewed week recorded elevation of 34.25 per cent.
The weekly SPI with the base year 2015-16 =100 covers 17 urban centres and 51 essential items for all expenditure groups.
The SPI for the lowest consumption group up to Rs. 17,732, went down by 0.78 percent with a decline up to 307.99 points from 310.42 points in the early week.
The SPI for consumption groups from Rs. 17,732-22,888, Rs. 22,889-29,517; Rs. 29,518-44,175 and above Rs. 44,175, observed a fall by 0.82 percent, 0.72 percent, 0.77 and 0.77 percent respectively.
During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 22 (43.14%) items witnessed an increase, 11 (21.57%) items went down and price of 18 (35.29%) items remained constant.
Increase, Decrease in Price of Items
The items, which recorded a fall in their average rates on a week-on-week basis included eggs (28.82%), chicken (4.23%), onions (3.48%), LPG (2.85%), gur (1.13%), wheat flour (0.32%), tomatoes (0.29%), pulse masoor (0.28%) and mustard oil (0.18%).
The items that experienced an increase in their average prices on a week-on-week basis comprised bananas (4.64%), potatoes (2.80%), match box (1.31%), long cloth (1.29%), cooked daal (0.77%), shirting (0.63%), energy saver (0.62%), pulse moong & rice basmati (0.56%) each, mutton (0.48%), cooked beef (0.39%) and pulse mash (0.35%).
The items which witnessed increase in their average prices on year-on-year basis included gas charges for q1 (1108.59%), tomatoes (134.09%), chilies powder (81.74%), cigarettes (77.13%), wheat flour (66.12%), gents sponge chappal (58.05%), sugar (54.59%), gents sandal (53.37%), gur (49.38%), salt powdered (39.97%) tea packet (33.22%), garlic (32.06%), while decrease is observed in the prices of bananas (18.29%), mustard oil (15.67%), vegetable ghee 1 kg (15.34%), cooking oil 5 litre (10.35%), vegetable ghee 2.5 kg (9.56%), LPG (8.50%) and diesel (0.33%).
