Weekly inflation up 0.20 percent

ISLAMABAD: Inflation for the week ended September 13 for the combined income group registered nominal increase of 0.20 percent as compared to the previous week, data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics revealed on Friday.The sensitive price indicator (SPI) for the week under review in the abovementioned group was recorded at 228.02 points against 227.57 points registered in the previous week, it added.

SPI for the combined group increased 2.66 percent.

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. Meanwhile, SPI for the lowest income group up to Rs8,000 also increased 0.23 percent, as it went up to 216.43 points in the week under review from 215.94 points in the previous week.

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 0.21 percent, 0.21 percent, 0.20 percent and 0.18 percent, respectively. Average prices of 13 items registered increase, 13 items declined and prices of the remaining 27 items remained unchanged.

The items, which recorded increase in their average prices during the week under review included tomatoes, eggs hen (farm), salt powder, gur, wheat, basmati, mustard oil, firewood, long cloth, vegetable ghee, cooking oil, wheat flour and vegetable ghee.

The items, which registered decrease in their prices included bananas, LPG cylinder (11kg), garlic, chicken, red chillies, onions, pulse gram (washed), Irri-6, pulse moong (washed), potatoes, pulse mash (washed) sugar and pulse masoor (washed).

The items with no change in their average prices during the week under review included bread plain, beef, mutton, milk (fresh) curd, milk (powdered), tea, cooked daal, tea prepared, cigarettes, shirting, lawn, georgette, gents sandal, gents chappal, ladies sandal, electricity charges, gas charges, kerosene, electric bulb, washing soap, match box, petrol, hi-sped diesel, telephone local call and bath soap.