ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) of the lowest income group up to Rs 8,000 for the week ending August 30 registered a decrease of 0.04 per cent as compared to the previous week.

The SPI for the week under review in the above mentioned group was recorded at 182.28 points against 182.36 points registered in the previous week, according to provisional figures of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (FBS).

The weekly SPI has been computed with base 2007-2008=100, covering 17 urban centres and 53 essential items for all income groups and combined.

The SPI for the combined group decreased by 0.48 per cent as it went down from 188.49 points in the previous week to 187.58 points in the week under review.

As compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined group in the week under review witnessed increase of 6.97 per cent.

As compared to the last week, the SPI for the income groups from Rs 8001 - Rs 12,000, Rs 12,001 - Rs 18,000, Rs 18001-Rs 35,000 and above Rs 35,000 decreased by 0.21, 0.36, 0.52 and 0.67, respectively.

During the week under review, average prices of 12 items registered decrease, while that of 15 items increase with the remaining 26 items prices unchanged.

The items which recorded decrease in their average prices included tomatoes, onions, chicken live (farm), potatoes, bananas, mash pulse (washed), red chillies (loose), sugar, gram pulse (washed), vegetable ghee (loose), liquefied petroleum gas (11 kilogrammes cylinder) and mustard oil.

The items which recorded increase in their average prices included wheat flour (bag), egg hen (farm), garlic, wheat, masoor pulse (washed), washing soap, cooking oil (tin), vegetable ghee (tin), moong pulse (washed), energy savour (14 wats), milk fresh, curd, rice IRRI-6, rice basmati (broken) and gur.

The items which remained unchanged during the week under review included bread plain, beef, mutton, milk powdered, salt powdered (loose), tea, cooked beef (plate), cooked dal (plate), tea prepared, cigarettes,long cloth, shirting, lawn, georgette, sandal gents, chappal (gents), electric charges, gas charges, kerosene oil, firewood, petrol, match box, diesel, telephone local call and bath soap.