September 7, 2003	Sunday	Rajab 9, 1424

ISLAMABAD, Sept 6: Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), pushed by yet another hike in the cost of carbon fuels, shot up by 0.35 per cent during the week ending Sept 4, 2003, as compared to previous week.

SPI index, consequently, rose to 109.47 from 109.09 of the previous week.

According to the weekly statement of the Federal Bureau of Statistics here on Saturday, the period under review is rendered remarkable by the fact that all the commodity groups recorded substantial increase in index. Among these, Transport & Communications outran others by an increase of 1.08pc.

The food group spiralled by 0.36pc, non-food by 0.33pc and utility by 0.31pc.

That the price trend affected the lower and middle income households is clear from the fact that SPI rose by 0.39pc for all of them - that is the households with monthly incomes up to Rs3000, those with incomes between Rs3001-5000 and those with incomes up to Rs12000.

This proves that not only the petroleum fuels but other basic necessities of life that were considered accessible to these households are now receding increasingly from their reach.

The SPI for households with incomes above Rs12000 increased by 0.42pc, mainly due to the surge in prices of petrol and other goods such as farm chicken within reach of this class. Thus, transport & communication jumped the highest, 1.11pc for this and the food group the lowest, 0.32pc.

This contrasts with the impact on lowest income group for which the food group index spiralled by 0.44pc and for those on the one with incomes Rs3000-5000, by 0.45pc.

As regards transport & communication, it increased by 0.67pc for the lowest income group, by 0.68pc households in the income bracket Rs3001-5000 and by 0.83pc for those in the income bracket Rs5000-12000.

Out of 51 essential items of SPI basket, prices of 15 registered substantial growth during the period under review as compared to previous week as follows:

Onions (6.01pc), diesel (3.78pc), kerosene (2.76pc), sugar (2.16pc), chicken farm (2.01pc), gas upto 3.3719mmbtu (1.38pc), gur (1.23pc), wheat (1.00pc), potatoes (0.75pc), petrol (0.66pc), gram pulse washed (0.32pc), masoor pulse washed (0.29pc), garlic (0.17pc) and rice basmati (0.11pc).

Based on the prices collected in 17 towns, the average prices of following 12 items decreased:

Tomatoes (-7.23pc), bananas (-2.32pc), egg (farm) (-1.95pc), bath soap (Lifebuoy) (1.15pc), lawn (-0.71pc), moong pulse washed (-0.59pc), mash pulse washed (-0.28pc), firewood (-0.27pc), red chilies (powdered) (-0.25pc), electricity bulb (60 watts) (-0.16pc), LPG (11 kg cylinder) (-0.07pc) and voile printed (-0.06pc).