ISLAMABAD, April 12: Inflation (Consumer Price Index) increased by 3.39 per cent during the first nine months of 2002-03, over the same period of previous year, according to monthly review of price indices released by the Federal Bureau of Statistics here on Saturday.
During the same period, the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) rose by 3.81 per cent, while the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) registered a further increase of 5.99 per cent mainly due to repeated increases in the cost of carbon fuels.
The CPI during March 2003 went up 0.03% over previous month (February 2003). The WPI moved up 0.15% during the same month over February 2003. However, the FBS review shows a decline of 0.01%, as compared to previous month.
The figures for the SPI and the CPI for the period 2002-03 and 2001-02 use 2000-01 as the base year. The base year for the WPI continues to be 1990-91.
At the end of March 2003, the CPI index stood at 107.09, the SPI at 107.25 and the WPI at 271.68.
The review reports a phenomenal increase of 8.54% in the WPI over the past one year, while the CPI and the SPI soared by 2.24% and 2.04%, respectively, over March 2002.
The CPI basket is divided into ten groups of consumer goods. Of these, transport & communication group (with weightage of 7.32) soared the most — by 8.43% in March 2003, as compared to the corresponding period of previous year.
The index of fuel & lighting (group weight 7.29) was the next highest target of price spiral. It rose 5.11%. Education became dearer by 4.83% during the period under review, while the cost of Medicare is shown to have risen by 2.60%.
The indices of remaining groups as compared to corresponding period of previous year increased as follows: Food & beverages 0.51%; apparel, textile & footwear 4.14%; house rent 0.50%; household, furniture & equipment, etc., 3.31%; recreation & entertainment 0.88%; and cleaning, laundry & personal appearance 5.45%.
The main commodities which showed an increase in their prices during March 2003 over February 2003 are as under:
TRANSPORT & COMMUNICATION: Petrol (6.89%) and diesel (1.92%).
CLEANING, LAUNDRY & PERSONAL APPEARANCE: Jewellry (2.40%).
It is the changes in the WPI which merit a particular attention because of sharp increase in the current financial year owing to its impact on the cost of production and transportation which ultimately contribute to rise in cost of living for the ordinary people.
According to the FBS data, the WPI for various groups increased as follows: Food 2.39%; raw materials 16.93%; fuel, lighting & lubricants 21.81%; manufactures 6.44%; and building materials 1.89%.
