ISLAMABAD: Short-term inflation, measured by the Sensitive Price Index (SPI), eased slightly and recorded an increase of 16.69 per cent year-on-year in the week ending August 22, official data showed on Friday.

It fell 0.10pc week-on-week due to a decline in the prices of vegetables.

However, the government has approved sugar exports, which are expected to increase consumer retail prices. The national average price of sugar is Rs160 per kilogramme.

The weekly inflation hit a record 48.35pc year-on-year in early May 2023, but then decelerated as low as 24.4pc in late Aug 2023 before surging past 40pc during the week ending Nov 16, 2023.

The items whose prices saw the decline week-on-week included tomatoes (21.96pc), wheat flour (2.77pc), bananas (2.08pc), onions (1.70pc), sugar (1.43pc), chicken (1.25pc), pulse masoor (1pc) and bread (0.61pc).

The items whose prices increased the most over the previous week included eggs (6.10pc), pulse gram (6.05pc), potatoes (2.41pc), cooked daal (0.89pc), cooked beef (0.74pc), mustard oil (0.63pc), beef (0.47pc), shirting (0.43pc), milk fresh (0.39pc) and LPG (0.16pc).

However, on an annual basis, the items whose prices increased the most included gas charges for Q1 (570pc), onions (79.51pc), pulse gram (51.34pc), tomatoes (28.10pc), powdered milk (26.14pc), gents sandal (25.01pc), beef (23.89pc), pulse moong (23.88pc), shirting (23.61pc), garlic (22.84pc), salt powder (21.36pc) and georgette (15.18pc).

Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2024