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ISLAMABAD, July 12: Inflation, as measured by Consumer Price Index (CPI), spiralled at the rate of 3.10 per cent during the financial year 2002-03, according to the review of price indices issued by the Federal Bureau of Statistics here on Saturday.
The same period saw a rise of 3.50 per cent in Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) and of 5.92 per cent in Wholesale Price Index (WPI).
The FBS has changed the base of CPI and SPI from 1990-91 to 2000-01, while WPI continues to be calculated on the basis of 1990-91.
During June, CPI rose by 1.93pc, SPI by 2.20pc and WPI by 4.44pc as compared to corresponding period of 2002. But when compared to previous month (May 2003), SPI moved up by 0.24pc, while a decline of 0.21pc and 0.27pc has been reported in respect of CPI and WPI, respectively.
As a result, the CPI index stood at 106.92pc in June 2003.
The CPI basket has been divided into ten groups. According to the FBS data, food and beverages, fuel and lighting and recreation and entertainment, dropped by 0.99pc, 0.04pc and 0.10pc, respectively, as compared to May 2003.
Among the remaining seven groups, transport and communication shot up by 0.80pc. The next to become dearer based on average prices was house rent, showing an increase of 0.37pc over the previous month.
According to the FBS data, the cost of education remained ascendant as indicated by 0.32pc increase in CPI for it. The rest of the groups incurred rise in price indices during June 2003, as compared to previous month, as follows: Medicare 0.03pc; apparel, textile and footwear 0.13pc; household, furniture and equipment, etc., 0.09pc; and cleaning, laundry and personal appearance 0.30.
Following commodities showed a decrease in their prices during June 2002 over May 2003:
FOOD AND BEVERAGES: Fresh fruits (-15.19pc), eggs
(-13.61pc), vegetables (-7.23pc), chicken farm (-6.79pc), onions
(-5.88pc), pulse gram (-2.69pc) and sugar (-0.96pc).
FUEL AND LIGHTING: Bulb and tube (-1.76pc).
HOUSEHOLD, FURNITURE AND EQUIPMENT: Refrigerator and air-conditioner (-1.97pc).
TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION: Vehicles (-2.08pc).
The main commodities which became dearer during the period under review as compared to previous month were:
FOOD AND BEVERAGES: Potatoes (12.39pc), tomatoes (11.78pc), betel leaves and nuts (1.87pc), meat (1.78pc) and wheat (0.95pc).
TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION: Petrol (3.54pc) and diesel (1.92pc).
CLEANING, LAUNDRY AND PERSONAL APPEARANCE: Jewellry (1.17pc).
WPI: A mixed picture is presented by the FBS data in respect of WPI which stood at 264.85 (base 1990-91= 100). Thus WPI for food, raw materials and manufactures fell by 1.08pc from the level of May 2003. However, WPI went up further in respect of fuel, lighting and lubricants and building materials by 0.52pc and 0.70pc, respectively, in June, as compared to previous month.
When compared to June 2002, however, all the groups registered substantial rise in WPI as follows: Food (2.68pc); raw materials (14.49pc); fuel, lighting and lubricants (4.36pc); manufactures (4.13pc); and building materials (0.70pc).
