March 16, 2006	Thursday	Safar 15, 1427

ISLAMABAD, March 15: The wholesale price of major commodities increased by 9.94 per cent in February, over the same month last year. Official figures available with Dawn indicated that the wholesale price rose by 0.77 per cent in the month under review, over January 2006.

An average increase of around 10 per cent was recorded during the last eight months of the current fiscal year, over same period last year.

Analysts said the constant increase in prices of goods at the wholesale stage would ultimately affect prices at the retail level in the next two to three months. This will further push up inflation (consumer price index) in the months ahead and will put more pressure on consumers until the government take some administrative measures to reduce the impact at the retail stage.

The government’s attempt to rationalize tariffs on raw materials seemed to be a futile attempt, as prices of raw materials witnessed an increase of 14.17 per cent in Feb 2006, over the same month last year.

Prices of food at the wholesale stage registered a growth of 6.90 per cent, fuel, lightening and lubricants 25.19 per cent and manufacturers 3.05 per cent in February, over the same month last year. However, the wholesale price of building materials declined by 3.74 per cent in Feb.

The main commodities, which showed an increase in their prices in Feb 2006, over January 2006, were: Food: sugar (26.62pc), potatoes (14.33pc), moong (11.44pc), gram split (9.99pc), gram whole (9.10pc), gur (8.02pc), besan (5.96pc), mash (4.86pc), jowar (5.91pc), fresh fruits (2.39 percent), fish (2.25pc), wheat (2.22pc), beverages (1.91pc), oil cakes (1.58pc), vegetables prepared/preserved (1.54pc), fruit prepared and preserved (1.29pc), masoor (1.10pc) and fresh milk (0.89pc); Raw materials: sugarcane (11.10pc), cotton (5.10pc) and tobacco (1.23pc); Fuel, lighting and lubricants: furnace oil (4.78pc) and firewood (2.41pc); Manufactures: cotton yarn (3.41pc); Building materials: sanitary wares (3.24pc), cement (2.40pc and tiles (1.19pc).

The commodities, which showed a decrease in prices during Feb 2006, over Jan 2006, are: Food: eggs (39.84pc), vegetables (26.06pc), tomatoes (20.85pc), chicken (6.24pc), onions (2.59pc), bajra (2.11pc) and rice (1 percent); Raw materials: cotton seeds (14.48pc), pig iron (11.54pc), wool (2.35pc), hides (1.86pc), and skins (1.74pc); coke (12.64pc), Mobil oil (1.21pc), nylon yarn (2.14pc), fertilizer (1.13pc) and bricks (5.38pc).