ISLAMABAD: Inflation for the week ended August 8 for the combined income group witnessed an increase of 1.23 percent, compared with the previous week, latest data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) showed on Friday.
The sensitive price indicator (SPI) for the week under review in the combined income group was recorded at 270.31 points against 267.02 points registered in the previous week. Meanwhile, inflation for the lowest income group also increased to 249.01 points from 245.50 points last week, showing a growth of 1.43 percent.
SPI for the combined group during the week under review witnessed an increase of 17.76 percent, and for the lowest income group, it increased by 14.46 percent. The weekly sensitive price indicator has been computed with base 2007-08=100, covering 17 urban centres and 53 essential items for all income groups and combined.
The sensitive price indicator for the income groups from Rs8,001-Rs12,000, Rs12,001-Rs18,000; Rs18,001-Rs35,000 and above Rs35,000/month increased by 1.35 percent, 1.33 percent, 1.27 percent and 1.1 percent, respectively. During the week under review, average prices of 25 items registered increase, three decreased, while prices of the remaining 25 items remained unchanged.
The items, which recorded increase in their average prices during the week under review included onions, chicken, tomatoes, potatoes, vegetable ghee, garlic, sugar, eggs, cooking oil (tin), cooked daal, vegetable ghee, bath soap, gram pulse, gur, cooked beef, masoor pulse, wheat flour, mash pulse, mustard oil, rice (Irri-6), moong pulse, LPG cylinder, beef, curd and fresh milk.
The items that witnessed decrease in their prices included bananas, red chillies and wheat. Similarly, the items, which recorded no change in their prices included rice (basmati broken), bread, mutton, milk (powdered), salt, tea (packet), tea (prepared), cigarettes, long cloth, shirting, lawn, georgette, gents sandal, gents chappal, ladies sandal, electricity charges, kerosene oil, firewood, electric bulb, washing soap, match box, petrol, diesel and telephone local call.