Inflation notches up week-on-week

ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), for the week ended on October 6, 2011, for the lowest income group up to Rs8, 000, has registered nominal increase of 0.06 percent over the previous week.

The SPI for the week under review in the above-mentioned group was recorded at 169.44 points as against 169.33 points registered inthe previous week, according provisional figures of Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS).

The weekly SPI has been computed with base 2007-2008=100,covering 17 urban centres and 53 essential items for all income groups and combined.

SPI for the combined group registered increase of 0.26 percent as it went up from 175.24 points in the previous week to 175.70points in the week under review.

As compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined group in the week under review witnessed increase of 8.74 percent.

As compared to the last week, the SPI for the income groups from Rs8001-12,000, 12,001 to 18,000, 18001 to 35,000 and aboveRs35,000 increased by 0.09 percent, 0.14 percent, 0.22 percent and0.41 percent respectively.

During the week under review average prices of 11 items registered decrease, while that of 24 items increase with the remaining 18 items' prices unchanged.

The items which recorded decrease in their average prices during the week under review included garlic, bananas, potatoes, sugar, chicken live (farm), LPG (11 kg cylinder), vegetable ghee(loose), rice (irri-6), moong pulse (washed), lawn, mash pulse(washed).

The items which registered increase in their prices included petrol, tomatoes, onions, red chillies (powder), firewood, diesel, gur, salt (powdered), washing soap, mutton, milk (fresh), egg hen(farm), georgette cooked beef, beef, kerosene, long cloth (coarse latha), shirting, masoor pulse (washed), rice basmati (broken),curd, mustard oil, wheat, wheat flour.

The items with no change in their average prices during the week under review included bread (plain), milk (powdered), cooking oil (tin), vegetable ghee (tin), gram pulse (washed), tea, cooked dal, tea (prepared), cigarettes, sandal (gents), chappal, sandal(ladies), electric charges, gas charges (upto 100m3), energysaver, match box, telephone, and bath soap. (APP)