ISLAMABAD: The short-term inflation remained elevated at 32.89 per cent year-on-year in the week ending March 14 amid an increase in vegetable prices.

On a week-on-week basis, the SPI witnessed a 1.35pc spike. The SPI remained above 32pc for the third consecutive week, according to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics on Friday.

The items whose prices saw the increase week-on-week included tomatoes (21.96pc), bananas (21.76pc), eggs (7.15pc), onions (5.57pc), LPG (4.45pc), garlic (3.62pc), mutton (1.74pc), beef (1.53pc), chicken (1.40pc), and georgette (1.04pc).

On an annual basis, the items whose prices increased the most included gas charges for Q1 (570pc), tomatoes (185.68pc), onions (90.27pc), chillies powder (81.74pc), garlic (60.13pc), gents sponge chappal (58.05pc), gents sandal (53.37pc), wheat flour (51.91pc), gur (41.32pc), and sugar (37.09pc).

The items which saw a price decrease week-on-eeek included cooking oil 5-litre (1.08pc), vegetable ghee 2.5kg (1.07pc), wheat flour (0.95pc), sugar (0.64pc), gur (0.57pc), rice basmati broken (0.50pc), pulse masoor (0.17pc) and pulse mash (0.15pc).

In contrast, the prices of cooking oil 5-litre dropped 21.33pc year-on-year, vegetable ghee 1kg 19.12pc, vegetable ghee 2.5kg 17.89pc, mustard oil 15.26pc, bananas 3.94pc, diesel 1.88pc and cigarettes 0.05pc.

The weekly inflation is measured by a basket of goods and services called the SPI, which stood at 327.21 compared to 322.86 in the preceding week and 246.22 a year ago.

Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2024