Weekly inflation rises 0.68 percent

KARACHI: Inflation for the week ended December 1 for the combined income group witnessed nominal increase of 0.68 percent as compared to the previous week.

According to the data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Friday, the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the week under review in the abovementioned group was recorded at 222.08 points against 220.57 points recorded last week.

SPI for the combined group increased 1.69 percent. The weekly SPI has been computed with base 2007-2008=100, covering 17 urban centres and 53 essential items for all income groups and combined.

Meanwhile, SPI for the lowest income group up to Rs8,000 increased 0.51 percent, as it went up from 212.15 points in the previous week to 213.23 points during the week under review.

SPI for the income groups from Rs8,001 to Rs12,000; Rs12,001 to Rs18,000; Rs18,001 to Rs35,000; and above Rs35,000 also increased 0.56 percent, 0.64 percent, 0.69 percent, and 0.77 percent, respectively.

During the week under review, average prices of 14 items increased, 11 items registered decrease while prices of the remaining 28 items remained unchanged.

The items, which recorded increase in their average prices included tomatoes, tea, chicken live (farm), hi-speed diesel, petrol, garlic, onions, vegetable ghee (loose), cooking oil (tin), eggs hen (farm), bananas, basmati (broken), wheat and pulse gram (washed).

The items, which registered decrease in their prices during the week under review included sugar, powder milk, mash pulse, gur, LPG cylinder, gram pulse, pulse moong, red chilly, potatoes, wheat flour and firewood.

The items with no change in their average prices included Irri-6, bread, beef, mutton, milk fresh, curd, mustard oil, vegetable ghee (tin), salt powder, cooked beef, cooked dal, tea prepared, cigarettes, long cloth, shirting, lawn, georgette, gents chappal, ladies sandal, electricity and gas charges, kerosene, electric bulb, washing soap, match box, telephone local call and bath soap.