April 22, 2006	Saturday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 23, 1427

ISLAMABAD, April 21: The Sensitive Price Index (SPI) for the week ending April 20 has registered a nominal increase over the previous week. The SPI for the lowest income group up to Rs3,000 was recorded at 140.77 as against previous week’s 140.33, showing 0.31 per cent increase, according to the Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS) here on Friday.

The weekly SPI covers 17 urban centres and 53 essential items for all income groups and combined.

During the week under review, average prices of nine items registered a decrease, while those of 24 items increased, with the remaining 20 items’ prices unchanged.

The items which recorded a decrease in their average prices included onions, wheat, wheat flour average quality, electric bulb (60-wat), rice Irri-6, red chillies (powdered), sugar, rice basmati broken and vegetable ghee (loose).

The items which registered an increase in their prices included tomatoes, LPG (11-kg cylinder), chicken farm, egg (farm), garlic, bananas, gur, gram pulse washed, lawn, cooked dal (plate), potatoes, firewood, moong washed, cooked beef (plate), masoor washed, curd, mash washed, beef, tea (prepared), coarse lattha, mutton, tea (packet), voil printed and milk powdered (Nido).

The items with no change in their average prices included bread plain (medium size), milk fresh, vegetable ghee (tin), mustard oil, cooking oil (tin), salt (powdered), cigarettes K-2, shirting, sandal gents (Bata), sandal ladies (Bata), chappal sponge (Bata), kerosene, match box, washing soap (nylon), bath soap (Lifebuoy), gas charges (up to 3.3719mmbtu), electricity charges 1-100, petrol, diesel and telephone charges.—APP