Weekly inflation eases 0.21pc

ISLAMABAD: Inflation for the week ended January 17 for the combined income group posted a decrease of 0.21 percent as compared to the previous week, latest data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) said on Friday.

The sensitive price indicator (SPI) for the week under review in the combined group was recorded at 238.30 points against 238.81 points registered in the previous week and in the lowest income group the indicator also decreased to 220.88 points from 221.23 points last week, it added.

SPI for the combined income group in the week under review witnessed an increase of 6.65 percent, and for the lowest income group, it increased 3.88 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, 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 decreased 0.19 percent, 0.20 percent, 0.22 percent, and 0.22 percent, respectively.

Average prices of 17 items registered increase, 10 declined, while prices of the remaining 26 items remained unchanged.

The items, which recorded increase in their average prices during the week under review included garlic, washing soap, sugar, red chilly, Irri-6, pulse masoor, pulse mash, mustard oil, wheat, curd, shirting, vegetable ghee, milk (fresh), vegetable ghee (tin), tea, beef, and wheat flour.

The items, which registered decrease in their prices included LPG cylinder, chicken, potatoes, tomatoes, eggs, onions, bananas, gur, pulse moong, and pulse gram.