ISLAMABAD, July 12: The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) increased by 6.94 per cent during the fiscal year 2006-07 over the last year. Official figures released here by Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS) on monthly basis showed that the wholesale prices of commodities surged by 7.30pc in June 2007 over the same month last year.

The WPI rose by 1.10pc in June 2007 when compared to May 2007.The WPI measures change in average ex-factory and wholesale prices of 425 items grouped into five broad categories. The categories include food items, raw materials, fuel, lighting and lubricants, manufacturing and building materials.

The main commodities which showed an increase in their prices during June 2007 over May 2007 were: potatoes (26.68pc), eggs (22.76pc), rice (8.76pc), bajra (4.16pc), milk fresh (3.95pc), condiments (3.50pc), mustard and rapeseed oil (2.86pc), cotton seed oil (2.71pc), beans (2.56pc), cooking oil (2.02pc), wheat flour (1.98pc), dry fruits (1.86pc), vegetable ghee (1.30pc), wheat (1.26pc) and masoor (1.11pc).

The raw materials which recorded upward trend included: pig iron (2.06pc), hides (1.32pc), mustard/rapeseeds (1.11pc), coke (15.79pc) and furnace oil (5.44pc), cigarettes (4.48pc), chemicals (3.29pc), nylon yarn (2.99pc), blended yarn (1.50pc), machinery (1.32pc), fertiliser (1.09pc), dyeing materials (1.07pc), iron bar and sheets (2.33 pc).

The commodities which showed a decrease in their prices were: chicken (17.72pc), vegetables (12.12pc), onion (7.60pc), sugar refined (5.93pc), gram whole (5.61pc), oil cakes (5.02pc), besan (4.06pc), gram split (2.59pc), fresh fruits (2.55pc), jowar (1.95pc), cotton (2.85pc), cement (6.11pc) and bricks (0.81pc).