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ISLAMABAD: Weekly inflation rose for the fourth consecutive week, and the Sensitive Price Index-based inflation jacked by more than 8 per cent for the week ending on Feb 9 over the same week last year.
The SPI was experiencing downward trend since September 2011 after changes in measuring methodology. However, it jumped upwards for the last few weeks in the wake of price spiral in the economy, suggested data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics on Friday.
SPI monitors prices of 53 items based on the survey of 17 cities and 53 markets.
Past few weeks also witnessed let-up in prices of perishable products, like vegetables and fruits in the four provinces.
As per PBS survey conducted for SPI determination, significant variations have been witnessed in prices of non-perishable products, such as LPG, pulses, beef, firewood among the provinces.
The increase in POL and energy prices also jacked up the over-all inflation in the past one month.
As a result, the impact on various income groups also witnessed variations during the week under review.
SPI witnessed an increase of 5.17 per cent, 6.27 per cent and 6.70 per cent, respectively, for households in the three lower income brackets of up to Rs8,000, Rs8,001-Rs12,000 and Rs12,001-Rs18,000.
For households in the income brackets of Rs18,001-Rs35,000, the increase in the SPI was in the range of 8.25 per cent, and for households in the income basket of over Rs35,000 the inflation registered a growth of 10.20 per cent over the week last year.
The highest increase in the top income group was mainly due to increase in prices of petrol, CNG, mutton, chicken and eggs during the week under review.
Prices of 11kg cylinder rose by 31.95pc to Rs1647.73 each from Rs1546.18, long cloth by 28.08pc to R111.03 per metre from Rs107.34, lawn by 27.02pc to Rs114.82 per metre from Rs111.88 and Bananas 15.69pc to Rs55.46 per kg from Rs54.38 during the week under review over the same week last year.
Firewood prices went up by 25.15pc to Rs463.88 per 40 kg from Rs460.06, mutton by 16.65 per cent to Rs490.81 per kg from Rs487.80, kerosene by 28.59 pc to Rs106.90 per litre against Rs106.26 and tea prepared by 9.25pc to Rs14.53 per cup against Rs14.46.
Cooked beef plate price increased by 14.83pc to Rs61 per plate from Rs60.71, rice irri-6 by 13.21pc to Rs45.41 per kg against Rs45.20, curd by 16.41pc to Rs67.90 per kg from Rs67.61 and energy saver by 14.91pc to Rs141.32 each from Rs140.74.
The price of milk fresh was up by 15.18pc to Rs58.06 per kg from Rs57.84, gram pulse washed by 2.16pc to Rs71.86 per kg from Rs71.62, shirting by 24.84pc to Rs109.35 per metre from Rs109.06 and garlic by 52.81pc to Rs95.22 per kg from Rs95.02.
