ISLAMABAD: Short-term inflation recorded a slight increase of 0.32 per cent year-on-year in the week ending February 27, owing to a rise in the retail prices of sugar and perishable products in the domestic market.

The inflation, measured by Sensitive Price Index (SPI), rebounded and recorded an upward trend for two weeks consecutively after a decline in seven weeks, mainly due to an increase in pulses, beef, egg and chicken prices. It increased by 0.38pc from the previous week, official data showed on Friday.

The overall short-term inflation rate has also slowed due to the higher base of last year. Moreover, the prices remained stable for most of the products, excluding wheat flour.

According to the PBS data, in the first seven months, sugar exports reached 757,597 tonnes, compared to 33,101 tonnes during the same months last year, showing an increase of 2,188pc. The sugar price in the domestic market has also saw an unprecedented increase.

In March, the decline in SPI came after a consistent 11-week period of inflation above 40pc, surging from 29pc recorded on Nov 8, 2023.

The items whose prices saw an increase week-on-week included tomatoes (11.49pc), bananas (8.32pc), eggs (5.43pc), chicken (4.13pc), potatoes (2.79pc), onions (2.04pc), beef (1.68pc), sugar (1.55pc) and cigarettes (0.51pc).

The items whose prices declined the most over the previous week included tea Lipton (6.62pc), bread (1.67pc), pulse mash (1.12pc), mustard oil (1.08pc), garlic (1pc), LPG (0.37pc), vegetable ghee 1kg (0.32pc), pulse gram (0.21pc) and vegetable ghee 2.5kg (0.11pc).

However, on an annual basis, the items whose prices increased the most included ladies sandal (75.09pc), pulse moong (28.47pc), bananas (27.78pc), pulse gram (25.93pc), powdered milk (25.86pc), beef (24.12pc), potatoes (23.24pc), garlic (17.26pc), vegetable ghee 1kg (16.29pc), shirting (14.11pc), firewood (12.73pc) and georgette (10.89pc).

In contrast, the prices of onions dropped 50.26pc, followed by tomatoes (48.14pc), wheat flour (36.99pc), chilies powder (20pc), electricity charges for Q1 (18.92pc), pulse mash (12.16pc), tea Lipton (12.09pc), pulse masoor (11.23pc), rice basmati broken (8.47pc), diesel (8.07pc), petrol (6.97pc) and LPG (0.84pc).

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2025