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ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Index-based inflation jacked by more than 7 per cent for the week ending on March 8 over the same week last year.
Upward trends in prices started for the past couple of months especially in food items. However, the SPI was experiencing downward trend since September 2011 after changes in measuring methodology, 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.
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 overall inflation in the past one month. As a result, prices of 31 items witness all of a sudden increase during the period under review.
The impact of prices increase on various income groups also witnessed variations during the week under review.
The maximum price increase had been observed in the upper income groups, compared to the last year. The SPI increased by 9.39 per cent for the Rs35,000 and above income group. 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.
The SPI increase for households in the income bracket of Rs18,001-35,000 at 7.78 per cent. The lowest increase in SPI was recorded in the income group of up to Rs8,000, which stood at 5.38 per cent.
Prices of chappal rose by 28.78pc to Rs179 each pair from Rs139, long cloth by 19.05pc to R128.04 per metre from Rs119.12, sugar by 15.84pc to Rs55.36 per kg from Rs52.23 and garlic 15.43pc to Rs109.17 per kg from Rs104.76 during the week under review over the same week last year.
Bananas prices went up by 21.62pc to Rs63.78 per dozen from Rs61.57, LPG 11-kg cylinder by 35.86per cent to Rs1618.18 each from Rs1564.21, gram pulse washed by 32.20 pc to Rs96.60 per kg against Rs93.81 and vegetable ghee (loose) by 2.22pc to Rs170.98 per kg against Rs166.45.
Energy saver 14 watts price increased by 15.22pc to Rs144.26 each from Rs141.91, gur by 15.96pc to Rs68 per kg against Rs67.23, tea by 9.99pc to Rs139.01 per 200-gm from Rs137.77 and milk fresh by 15.13pc to Rs58.82 per litre, from Rs58.14.
The price of potatoes was up by 5.36pc to Rs18.37 per kg from Rs18.25, moong pulse washed by 13.24pc to Rs122.58 per kg from Rs121.80, curd by 16.26pc to Rs68.77 per kg from Rs68.39, onions by 37.61pc to Rs33.99 per kg from Rs33.80, kerosene by 28.80pc to Rs111.28 per litre from Rs110.72 and rice irri-6 by 12.21pc to Rs45.96 per kg from Rs45.74.
Mutton price went up by 16.19 pc to Rs499.05 per kg from Rs496.99, mash pulse washed by 10pc to Rs143.24 per kg from Rs142.79, mustard oil by 179.60pc to Rs179.11 per kg against Rs179.11 and firewood by 23.60pc to Rs468.69 per 40-kg against Rs467.61.
