Weekly inflation falls 0.72 percent

ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive price indicator (SPI) for the week ended November 28 fell 0.72 percent over the previous week, but rose a whopping 18.96 percent as compared to weekly inflation in the corresponding period last year, official data showed on Monday.

Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) data showed that weekly inflation for the combined income group went down to 131.87 points from 132.82 points recorded in the week ended on November 21.

The weekly SPI with base 2015-16=100 covered 17 urban centres and 51 essential items for all expenditure groups. SPI for the lowest consumption group earning up to Rs17,732 witnessed 0.90 percent decrease and went up from 130.04 points in last week to 136.80 points during the week under review.

Meanwhile, the SPI for the consumption groups from Rs17,733-Rs22,888, from Rs22,889-Rs29,517; Rs29,518-Rs44,175, and above Rs44,175 per month, decreased by 0.88 percent, 0.80 percent, 0.77 percent and 0.61 percent, respectively.

During the week under review, average prices of 10 item registered decrease, 16 items increased, while prices of 25 items remained unchanged.

The prices of the commodities that recorded decrease in their prices during the week under review included chicken, tomatoes, onions, gur, refined sugar, eggs, wheat flour bags, garlic, pulses and LPG cylinder.

The items, which recorded increase in their average prices included bananas, potatoes, masoor pulse, energy saver, broken basmati rice, rice lrri-6, firewood whole, soap, mash pulse, mutton, mustard oil , cooked beef, beef with bone, vegetable ghee, cigarettes, and moong pulse.

Similarly, the prices of the commodities that observed no change in their price during the week under review included bread, fresh and powdered milk, curd, mustard oil, vegetable ghee, salt, chillies, prepared tea, cooked pulse, packaged tea, long cloth, shirting, lawn, georgette, gents sandal, gents chappal, ladies sandal, electricity charges, gas charges, washing soap, petrol, diesel, telephone call, and bath soap.