Weekly SPI rises 0.24 percent

ISLAMABAD: Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI)-based inflation for the week ended November 19, for the combined consumption group, witnessed increase of 0.24 percent, compared with the previous week, the latest data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) showed on Monday.

SPI for the week under review in the abovementioned group was recorded at 143.05 points against 142.71 points registered in the previous week, it added. The Sensitive Price Indicator for the combined consumption group during the week under review witnessed an increase of 7.7 percent.

The weekly SPI with base year 2015/16=100 is covering 17 urban centres and 51 essential items for all expenditure groups. SPI for the lowest consumption group up to Rs17,732 witnessed 0.40 percent increase, as it went up to 150.95 points during the week under review from 150.35 points in last week.

Meanwhile, SPI for the consumption groups from Rs17,732 to Rs22,888, Rs22,889 to Rs29,517; Rs29,518 to Rs44,175; and above Rs44,175/month also increased 0.36 percent, 0.30 percent; 0.26 percent and 0.17 percent, respectively.

During the week, prices of 13 items increased, 18 decreased, while that of 20 items remained unchanged. The commodities, which recorded increase in their average prices during the period under review included potatoes, tomatoes, eggs, shirting, bananas, georgette, match box, cooked daal, chicken, cooked beef, milk (powdered), long cloth and mustard oil.

The items, which recorded decrease in their average prices included onions, sugar, diesel, petrol, mash pulse, masoor pulse, LPG cylinder, moong pulse, gur, curd, milk (fresh), beef, energy saver, rice (Irri 6/9), gram pulse, wheat flour, garlic and rice (basmati broken).