ISLAMABAD: Inflation for the combined income group went slightly up 0.23 per cent for the week ended on May 3 as compared to the previous week, mainly due to increase in prices of non-perishable products.

The weekly inflation, measured through the Sensitive Price Ondex (SPI), went up after deceleration in the last 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.

Prices of 18 items increased and those of 08 items decreased during the period under review. Prices of 27 items remained unchanged.

The impact of prices on various income groups also witnessed variations during the week under review.

For the lowest income group (earning up to Rs8,000 a month), SPI grew 0.06pc over the previous week, while inflation for the top income group (earning Rs35,000 and above) was increased by 0.33pc.

On a yearly basis, SPI for the combined group in the week under review witnessed a slight decline of 1.71pc.

The food items whose prices rose included tomatoes 12.7pc, bananas 6.5pc, potatoes 5.2pc, gur 1.6pc, chicken farm 1.4pc, red chilly powder 1.3pc, eggs 0.92pc, mutton 0.39pc, mustard oil 0.32pc, garlic 0.13pc, pulse masoor 0.12pc, pulse moong 0.09pc, vegetable ghee 0.04pc, and cooked beef 0.02pc.

In the non-food items whose prices rose include high-speed diesel 2.29pc, petrol 1.79pc, kerosene 1.69pc, and LPG Cylinder 11-kg 0.25pc.

The items whose prices fell included wheat 2.05pc, wheat flour 0.81pc, onions 0.54pc, vegetable ghee 0.5pc, pulse gram 0.44pc, sugar 0.43pc, pulse mash 0.32pc and cooking oil 0.25pc.

Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2018