ISLAMABAD: The unprecedented gas price shock and some essential eatables led to an increase in short-term inflation, measured by the Sensitive Price Index (SPI), of almost 27 per cent on an annual basis in the week ending April 25, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics on Friday.

“The SPI for the current week ended on April 25, eased 1.1pc,” it said.

At the same time, PBS reported that the “year-on-year trend depicts a spike of 26.94pc” as gas charges surged by 570pc, followed by a 122.34pc rise in tomato, 121.2pc in onion, and 77pc in chilli powder prices.

The prices of 15 out of 51 items in the SPI basket increased, 10 items decreased, and those of 26 items remained stable.

The significant week-on-week decrease was in tomato prices, which fell by 20.83pc, followed by 14.43pc in onions and 11.64pc in chicken. The wheat flour rate declined by 4.92pc, eggs by 4.45pc, chilli powder by 3.86pc, bananas by 3.3pc, LPG by 2.22pc, and garlic by 0.43pc.

On the other hand, increase was observed in the prices of potatoes 1.8pc, powdered milk 1.3pc, vegetable ghee 0.70pc, pulse mash 0.65pc, sugar 0.60pc, gur 0.59pc, cooked daal 0.56pc, mutton 0.51pc and shirting 0.37pc.

Giving details of the rise in SPI on a year-on-year basis, the PBS also reported a 67pc increase in the price of gents’ sandals, garlic 65.11pc, gents sponge chappal 58.05pc, salt powder 32pc, shirting 30pc and 27pc each in gur and pulse mash prices. Also, beef became costlier by 24.07pc.

On the other side, the decrease was observed in the prices of bananas by 34pc, cooking oil 5-litre 21pc, vegetable ghee 2.5 kg by 17.56pc and wheat flour by 16.72pc. Likewise, mustard oil became cheaper by 13.36pc, eggs by 9.32pc, LPG by 7.21pc and diesel by 0.85pc.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2024