October 07, 2007	Sunday	Ramazan 24, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Oct 6: Prices of 18 essential kitchen items, including tomatoes, registered a substantial increase during the week ended on Oct 5, over the previous week, statistics division said on Saturday.

Among the kitchen items, the price of tomatoes witnessed growth for the last two weeks because of shortage of the commodity in the local market.

The tomatoes have been exported to India in a greater quantity as agriculture produce attract higher price in the Indian market.

Official figures released here by the Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS) showed that price of tomatoes increased by 46.66 per cent to Rs39.15 per kg as against Rs26.66; an increase of 6.53 per cent in onions, which stood at Rs21.86 per kg during the week under review as against Rs20.52.

The price of LPG 11 kg cylinder increased by 1.22 per cent to Rs648.26 each from Rs640.47, wheat 1.21 per cent to Rs14.27 per kg as against Rs14.10, 1.09 per cent in mustard oil to Rs98.75 per kg as against Rs97.69, red chillies 0.80 per cent to Rs117.89 per kg from Rs116.95; bread plain medium size 0.70 per cent to Rs17.24 each as against Rs17.12, coarse latha 0.68pc to Rs38.28 per metre as against Rs38.02, egg 0.59pc to Rs47.98 per dozen as against Rs47.70.

The price of firewood increased by 0.50 per cent to Rs207.58 per 40 kg as against Rs206.55, shirting 0.42 per cent to Rs70.52 per metre as against Rs70.22, gur 0.33 per cent to Rs37.01 per kg as against Rs36.89 and vegetable ghee loose by 0.30 per cent to Rs90.22 per kg as against Rs89.95, potatoes 0.28 per cent to Rs17.99 per kg as against Rs17.94, gram pulse washed 0.25 per cent to Rs40.61 per kg as against Rs40.51, electric bulb 60 watt 0.25 per cent to Rs12.21 each as against Rs12.18, moong pulse washed 0.12 per cent to Rs50.63 per kg as against Rs50.57 and masoor pulse washed 0.09 per cent to Rs55.40 per kg as against Rs55.35.

Weekly inflation measured through sensitive price indictor (SPI) rose by 0.48 per cent during the week ending Oct 5, as compared to the previous week.

The group-wise analysis of the behaviour of prices of 53 essential items prevailing in 17 towns of Pakistan shows that the SPI witnessed an increase of 0.46 per cent and 0.49 per cent, respectively, for households in the two lower income brackets (up to Rs3,000 and Rs3,001-5,000). For the households in income brackets Rs5,001-12,000, the increase in the SPI was in the range of 0.51 per cent, while for the households in the income group basket of over Rs12,000, the inflation registered a growth 0.44 per cent over the previous week.

Comparing with the corresponding week last year, the SPI registered an increase of 10.73 per cent during the period under review.