ISLAMABAD, Feb 21: The Sensitive Price Indicator showed a fall of 0.48 per cent during the week ending February 19, 2004, as compared to previous week, according to the weekly price review released by the Federal Bureau of Statistics here on Saturday.

Reduction in the rates of kerosene oil, diesel and petrol appeared to be the chief reasons for the drop in SPI. This decline for the third consecutive week brought down to 113.17 the SPI Index with the 2000-01 as the base year.

According to commodity-wise analysis, the highest decline in index is reported by FBS in the group Transport & Communications, followed by 0.49pc decline in Food and of 0.47pc in that of Non- Food group.

From the view-point of impact on income groups, the SPI declined the most in respect of the households with incomes up to Rs3,000 per month. It also fell for the households with income Rs3,001-5,000 by 0.48pc, for those with Rs5,001-12,000 income by 0.45pc and for above Rs12,000 by 0.46pc.

During the period under review, farm chicken the prices of which had plummeted owing to the scare about the birdflu disease is among 13 items which became dearer, thanks to the rescue brought to the industrialists by the government which went all out to reassure the people that consumption of chicken products was risk-free in Pakistan.

There was, however, no relief for the people in respect of the rates of mutton and beef. The reason was, of course, was the paucity of animals because of exports (both legal and illegal) and the slaughter for sacrifice during Eidul Azha.

The items the prices of which went up during the period under review as against previous week were as follows:

Milk powdered (2.75pc), mutton (2.22pc), chicken farm (2.19pc), bananas (1.92pc), beef (1.16pc), firewood (0.72pc), rice Irri-6 (0.47cp), garlic and tea (prepared) (0.42pc each), mash pulse washed (0.26pc), cooked dal (plate) (0.22pc), vegetable ghee (loose) (0.21pc) and masoor pulse washed (0.08pc).

The period under review saw the decline in rates of following 14 items, as compared to previous week: Onions (17.53pc), egg (farm) (7.23pc), tomatoes (5.65pc), kerosene oil (4.37pc), tea (packet) (4.27pc), petrol (2.43pc), potatoes (1.57pc), gram pulse washed (1.17pc), sugar (1.04pc), moong pulse washed (0.95pc), Gur (0.63pc), L.P.G. (11 kg cylinder) (0.48pc), red chilies (powdered) (0.34pc) and diesel (0.33pc).

CEMENT: The prices of cement remained on the ascendant during the period under review and increased, on average, by 0.16pc, based on the rates prevailing in eight major urban centres of Pakistan.