Weekly inflation down 0.18 percent

ISLAMABAD: Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI)-based inflation for the week ended January 16 for the combined consumption group declined 0.18 percent as compared to the previous week, according to the latest data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics on Saturday.

SPI for the week under review in the abovementioned group was recorded at 132.08 points against 132.32 points registered in the previous week.

The weekly SPI was collected with base 2015/16, covering 17 urban centres and 51 essential items for all expenditure groups.

SPI for the lowest consumption group up to Rs17,732 also witnessed 0.43 percent reduction, as it went down to 135.23 points during the week under review from 135.82 points last week, it added.

SPI for the combined consumption group witnessed an increase of 20.02 percent, while for the lowest group, it increased 18.76 percent.

Meanwhile, SPI for the consumption groups from Rs17,733 to Rs22,888, Rs22,889 to Rs29,517, Rs29,518 to Rs44,175 and above Rs44,175/month also registered a fall of 0.34 percent, 0.23 percent, 0.17 percent and 0.13 percent, respectively.

Average prices of 27 items registered increase, seven items’ prices decreased, while prices of the remaining 17 items remained unchanged.

The items, which recorded increase in their average prices during the period under review included chicken farm (live), bananas, wheat flour, washing soap, garlic, gur, pulse masoor, pulse moong, cooked beef, powder milk, pulse gram, long cloth, shirting, pulse mash, cigarettes, tea cup, beef, georgette, mutton, vegetable ghee, rice irr-6, toilet soap, cooking oil, mustard oil, fire wood and vegetable ghee (2.5kg).

The prices of the commodities that recorded decrease in their prices included tomatoes, LPG cylinder (11.67kg), onions, eggs farm potatoes, rice basmati and sugar.

The commodities that observed no change in their price during the week under review included bread, milk fresh, curd, salt powder, chillies powder, tea, gents sandals, gents sponge, ladies sandal, electricity charges, gas charges, energy savers , march box, petrol super, hi-speed diesel and telephone calls.