April 12, 2008	Saturday	Rabi-us-Sani 5, 1429

ISLAMABAD, April 11: The prices of 22 essential kitchen items witnessed an average seven per cent increase during the week ended on April 10, over the previous week.

According to the statistics division data issued here on Friday, the increase in the prices of kitchen items pushed up the weekly inflation, measured through the Sensitive Price Index (SPI), up by 20 per cent during the week under review over the corresponding period last year.

The impact of the increase in SPI was hard-hitting for the lower income group as compared to the rich people. The SPI witnessed an increase of 23.10 per cent and 22.72 per cent for households in the lower income brackets of up to Rs3,000 and Rs3,001-5,000, respectively.

For households in income brackets of Rs5,001-12,000, the increase in the SPI was 21.30 per cent, while for households in the income group basket of over Rs12,000, the inflation registered a growth of 18.72 per cent over the week last year.

As compared to the previous week, the SPI, however, registered an increase of 0.97 per cent for almost all income groups.

Prices of 22 items went up as compared to the previous week.

The prices of egg increased by 13.60 per cent to Rs50.52 per dozen against Rs44.47; an increase of 7.71 per cent in potatoes, which stood at Rs12 per kg during the week under review as against Rs11.29.

The price of wheat flour increased by 6.32 per cent to Rs19.67 per kg from Rs18.50, rice Irri-6, 5.36 per cent to Rs30.26 per kg against Rs28.72, 4.39 per cent in wheat to Rs18.08 per kg against Rs17.32, gram pulse washed 3.81 per cent to Rs46.37 per kg from Rs44.67, onions 2.78 per cent to Rs11.46 per kg as against Rs11.15, chicken 2.37 per cent to Rs104.87 per kg as against Rs102.44, basmati broken 2.23 per cent to Rs39.86 per kg against Rs38.99.

The lawn (cloth) price increased by 1.87 per cent to Rs88.15 per metre against Rs86.53, coarse latha 1.84 per cent to Rs40.93 per metre against Rs40.19, voil printed 1.83 per cent to Rs42.28 per metre as against Rs41.52, bananas by 1.10 per cent to Rs35.02 per dozen as against Rs34.64, red chillies 1.04 per cent to Rs164.55 per kg against Rs162.85, masoor pulse washed 0.67 per cent to Rs82.31 per kg as against Rs81.76, firewood 0.65 per cent to Rs235.39 per 40 kg against Rs233.87, washing soap nylon 0.56 per cent to Rs10.82 per cake as against Rs10.76, cooked beef plate 0.55 per cent to Rs34.93 per plate against Rs34.74, and shirting 0.40 per cent to Rs72.53 per metre against Rs72.24.

The price of mash pulse washed went up by 0.15 per cent to Rs72.52 per kg against Rs72.41, mutton 0.02 per cent to Rs240.67 per kg against Rs240.63, and vegetable ghee loose 0.02 per cent to Rs123.81 per kg against Rs123.78.