ISLAMABAD: The weekly inflation, measured through the Sensitive Price Index (SPI), dipped for the second consecutive week, according to data issued by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics on Friday.

SPI monitors prices of 53 items based on a survey of 17 cities and 53 markets. Inflation for the combined income group slightly declined 0.82pc for the week ended on April 14 as compared to the previous week due mainly to a decline in prices of essential food commodities.

Food items whose prices rose included potatoes 4.04pc, chicken 1.72pc, curd 0.38pc, gur 0.28pc, and pulse masoor 0.23pc.

The items whose prices fell included tomatoes 40.57pc, garlic 7.59pc, onions 2.06pc, LPG cylinder 1.86pc, egg 0.83pc, wheat flour 0.64pc, powdered milk 0.49pc, wheat 0.36pc, mustard oil 0.32pc, pulse gram 0.24pc, pulse moong, 0.23pc, red chilly powder 0.18pc, vegetable ghee 0.08pc, bananas 0.06pc and pulse mash 0.01pc during the week.

Prices of 32 items remained unchanged.

The impact of prices on various income groups also witnessed variations during the week under review. For the lowest income group Rs8, 000, the index recorded a fall of 0.93pc over the previous week, while for the top income group Rs35, 000 and above, it was down by 0.75pc.

Published in Dawn, April 15th, 2017