ISLAMABAD, Jan 17: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) declined by 0.37 per cent during the week ending Jan 15, 2004, as compared to the previous week.

According to the weekly report of the Federal Bureau of Statistics issued here on Saturday, the households with monthly incomes up to Rs3000 incurred a decrease of 0.27 per cent in contrast to the highest income group with incomes above Rs12,000 for which it decreased only by 0.37 per cent.

As regards the middle tier households, SPI decreased by 0.33 per cent for those in the income bracket of Rs3001-5000 and those with incomes between Rs5001 and Rs12000 incurred a decrease of 0.36 per cent.

A glance at the list of 17 out of 53 essential items constituting the SPI basket provides the reasons for the particular targets of price spiral.

The 15 items, the prices of which increased during the week under review are cooked dal (Plate), gram pulse washed, wheat flour, LPG (11 kg cylinder), wheat, masoor pulse washed, cooked beef (plate), mash pulse washed, bread plain medium size, mutton, firewood, moong pulse washed, chicken farm, rice Irri-6 and garlic.

The nine items, prices of which registered a decrease during the week under review included tomatoes, potatoes, egg (farm), onions, gur, electric bulb, bananas, sugar and vegetable ghee (loose). However, the prices of 29 items remained unchanged during the period under review.