April 20, 2008	Sunday	Rabi-us-Sani 13, 1429

ISLAMABAD, April 19: The weekly inflation, measured through the Sensitive Price Index (SPI), increased by 22.71pc during the week ended on April 18, over the corresponding period last year, according to the Statistics Division data issued on Saturday.

The third consecutive increase in the oil prices during the last one and a half months further raised prices of 27 goods, mostly essential kitchen items, which pushed the overall inflation to a new height, witnessed for the first time in country’s history.

The SPI is on the rise during the period under review on the back of rising domestic oil and electricity prices, mostly hitting the people from the low-income group as compared to the rich.

The SPI witnessed an increase of 25.58pc and 25.17pc, respectively, for households in the two lower income brackets of up to Rs3,000 and Rs3,001 to Rs5,000.

For households in the income brackets of Rs5,001 to 12,000, the increase in the SPI was in the range of 23.47pc, while for households in the income basket of over Rs12,000, the inflation registered a growth of 20.09pc over the week last year.

As compared to the previous week, the SPI registered an increase of 1.83pc for almost all income groups.

Prices of 27 items went up as compared to the previous week.

Prices of Irri-6 rice increased by 15.07pc to Rs34.82 per kg as against Rs30.26, while an increase of 10.88pc was witnessed in wheat flour which stood at Rs21.81 per kg during the week under review as against Rs19.67, rice basmati broken increased by 6.35pc to Rs42.39 per kg from Rs39.86, and of egg by 6.06pc to Rs53.58 per dozen as against Rs50.52.

The prices of red chillies went up by 4.86pc to Rs172.55 per kg as against Rs164.55, wheat average increased by 4.48pc to Rs18.89 per kg from Rs18.08, bananas 3.63pc to Rs36.29 per dozen from Rs35.02 and potatoes 3.54pc to Rs12.59 per kg as against Rs12.16.

Onion prices increased by 2.62pc to Rs11.76 per kg as against Rs11.46, gram pulse washed increased by 2.44pc to Rs47.50 per kg as against Rs46.37.

The loose vegetable ghee price increased by 1.99pc to Rs126.28 per kg as against Rs123.81, mustard oil witnessed a rise of 1.75pc to Rs142.11 per kg against Rs139.66, and chicken went up by 1.18pc to Rs106.11 per kg as against Rs104.87.

Prices of washing soap nylon went up by 1.11per cent to Rs10.94 per cake as against Rs10.82, voil printed increased 1.02pc to Rs42.41 per metre as against Rs42.82 and curd 0.97pc to Rs37.65 per kg against Rs37.29.

Prices of masoor pulse washed increased by 0.86pc to Rs83.02 per kg as against Rs82.31, cooked beef plate witnessed a rise of by 0.74pc to Rs35.19 each as against Rs34.93 and moong pulse washed went up by 0.65pc to Rs52.71