January 27, 2008	Sunday	Muharram 17, 1429

ISLAMABAD, Jan 26: The weekly inflation measured through the Sensitive Price Index (SPI) soared by 12.33 per cent in the week ending on Jan 25, over the same week last year, according to statistics released by Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS) on Saturday.

The increase in the SPI-based inflation was the result of the steady increase in the prices of perishable products, energy prices and edible oil during the week under review over the previous year.

Interestingly, the FBS statistics show that the average flour price across-the-country declined by 15.78pc to Rs17.24 from Rs20.47 in the previous week.

The group-wise analysis of the behaviour of prices in 53 essential items prevailing in 17 towns of the country shows that the SPI witnessed an increase of 14.92pc and 14.60pc, respectively, for households in the two lower-income brackets (up to Rs3,000 and Rs3,001-5,000).

For the households in income brackets of Rs5,001-12,000, the increase in the SPI was in the range of 13.42pc, while for the households in the income group basket of over Rs12, 000, the inflation registered a growth of 10.44pc over the previous week. However, the SPI recorded a decline of 2.04pc over the previous week.

Prices of 20 essential kitchen items registered an increase over the previous week. The price of tomatoes increased by 14.03pc to Rs27.55 against Rs24.16; an increase of 6.57pc in gas charges up to 3.3719 MMBTU, which stood at Rs100.58 against Rs94.38 last week.

The price of mustard oil increased by 2.88pc to Rs131.42 per kg from Rs127.74; cooking oil tin 2.87pc to Rs305.30 per 2.5 litre as against Rs296.77; vegetable ghee tin by 2.58pc to Rs303.83 against Rs296.19; washing soap 2.36pc to Rs9.97 per cake from Rs9.74; masoor pulse (washed) 2.15pc to Rs65.67 per kg as against Rs64.29; vegetable ghee loose 1.48pc to Rs114.87 per kg against Rs113,19; tea prepared 1.30pc to Rs7 per cup against Rs6.91.

The price of Irri-6 rice increased by 1.20pc to Rs25.33 per kg against Rs25.03; moong pulse (washed) 0.39pc to Rs50.79 per kg against Rs50.32; rice basmati broken 0.75pc to Rs34.18 per kg against Rs34.55, bananas by 0.69pc to Rs31.90 per dozen against Rs31.68; gram pulse (washed) 0.61pc to Rs41.47 per kg as against Rs41.22; cooked daal plate 0.35pc to Rs20.34 as against Rs20.27.

The curd price was up by 0.35pc to Rs34.75 per kg against Rs34.63; 0.20pc in milk fresh to Rs29.69 per kg as against Rs29.63; cooked beef plate prepared 0.09pc to Rs33.26 per plate against Rs33.23; mutton by 0.09pc to Rs233.83 per kg against Rs233.61; and red chillies 0.04pc to Rs137.09 per kg as against Rs137.03.