ISLAMABAD, Dec 27: The Sensitive Price Indicator declined by 0.12 per cent during the week ending Dec 25, 2003, over the previous week mainly due to decrease in the average rates of wheat and wheat flour.

In spite of the decrease in the SPI for the 5th consecutive week, the difference between the index during the period under review and the corresponding period of previous year was recorded as 7.95 per cent.

According to the weekly price review by the Federal Bureau of Statistics here on Saturday, the SPI index was reduced by 0.28 per cent for the households with incomes up to Rs3,000 per month.

As regards the other income groups, it was down by 0.25 per cent for households in the income bracket Rs3,001-Rs5,000, by 0.18 per cent for those in the income bracket Rs5,001-Rs12,000 and by 0.04 per cent for those with incomes above Rs12,000.

According to the FBS data, the week was marked by the first decrease of the wheat year 2003-04 in the prices of staple food, wheat and wheat flour.

Their average rates based on the prices gathered by the FBS staff in 17 cities of Pakistan during the previous week were Rs11.31 and Rs12.30 per kg, respectively. These climbed down by Rs0.22 per kg (1.79pc) and Rs0.20 per kg (1.77pc), respectively.

The prices of 12 more essential items moved down during the period under review, as compared to previous week as follows:

Potatoes (4.29pc), sugar (1.46pc), gur (1.29pc), bananas (0.83pc), shirting (0.51pc), garlic (0.50pc), rice basmati broken (0.21pc), masoor pulse washed (0.20pc), vegetable ghee (loose) & mash pulse washed (0.17pc each) and mustard oil (0.09pc).

The period under review also saw a further increase in prices of eight essential items over the previous week as follows: Onions (4.43pc), tomatoes (4.18pc), egg (farm) (2.96pc), chicken farm (1.60pc), L.P.G. (11 kg cylinder)