May 03, 2008	Saturday	Rabi-us-Sani 26, 1429

ISLAMABAD, May 2: The weekly inflation increased by 23.93 per cent during the week ended on April 30 on the back of rising food and oil prices over the corresponding period of last year.

The inflation measured through the Sensitive Price Index (SPI), however, recorded a marginal increase of 0.2 per cent during the week under review over the previous week, according to the Statistics Division data issued on Friday.

The four time increase in the oil price in the last two months escalated prices of 23 items, mostly essential kitchen items, which drastically reduced the monthly budget of the low-income salaried class people.

The SPI witnessed an increase of 27.06 and 26.51 per cent, 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 24.56 per cent, and for households in the income basket of over Rs12,000, the inflation registered a growth of 21.16 per cent over the week last year.

Prices of 23 items went up as compared to the previous week.

Prices of gram pulse increased by 13.51 per cent to Rs57.37 per kg as against Rs50.54; while an increase of 11.43 per cent was witnessed in masoor pulse (washed), which stood at Rs93.78 per kg during the week under review as against Rs48.16; rice irri-6 increased by 8.11 per cent to Rs40.66 per kg from Rs37.61; and rice basmati broken by 4.11 per cent to Rs47.16 per kg as against Rs45.30.

The price of potatoes went up by 3.72 per cent to Rs13.66 per kg as against Rs13.17; moong pulse (washed) increased by 2.99 per cent to Rs54.75 per kg from Rs53.16; bananas by 2.78 per cent to Rs38.44 per kg from Rs37.40; and sugar 2.15 per cent to Rs25.67 per kg as against Rs25.13.

Gur prices increased by 2.07 per cent to Rs29.07 per kg as against Rs28.48 and; tomato rates went up by 1.51 per cent to Rs23.47 per kg as against Rs23.12.

The onion price increased by one per cent to Rs12.14 per kg as against Rs12.02; red chillies witnessed a rise of 0.67 per cent to Rs219.60 per kg against Rs218.14; and milk fresh went up by 0.56 per cent to Rs32.15 per kg against Rs31.97.

Prices of curd went up by 0.56 per cent to Rs37.86 per kg as against Rs37.65; firewood increased 0.54 per cent to Rs236.37 per 40 kg against Rs235.10; and washing soap nylon 0.45 per cent to Rs11.04 per cake against Rs10.99.

Prices of tea (prepared) increased by 0.41 per cent to Rs7.34 per cup as against Rs7.31; mutton witnessed a rise of by 0.36 per cent to Rs244.15 per kg as against Rs243.27; and bath soap went up by 0.32 per cent to Rs19.06 per kg against Rs19; beef price went up 0.23 per cent to Rs126.34 per kg from Rs126.05; voil printed up by 0.19 per cent to Rs43 per metre against Rs42.92; vegetable ghee loose increased by 0.13 per cent to Rs126.65 per kg from Rs126.49; and mash pulse (washed) surged by 0.06 per cent to Rs72.62 per kg from Rs72.58.