ISLAMABAD, March 15: Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) increased by 0.16 per cent during the week ending March 11 as compared to previous week, according to the weekly price data released by the Federal Bureau of Statistics here on Saturday.

Group-wise analysis of the behaviour of prices of 53 essential items prevailing in 17 towns of Pakistan shows that households in the two lower income brackets (up to Rs3,000 and Rs3,001-5,000) were affected by the inflation to the extent of 0.14 per cent. For the households in income brackets Rs5,001-12,000 and above, the SPI rose by 0.16 per cent over the previous week.

This week, the FBS has introduced two new tables containing some deeper details about the changes in cost of living of households with varying levels of income.

According to one such table, the SPI spurt occurred mainly in the food group. The index for this group increased for the households in the three lowest- and middle-income brackets by 0.19 and 0.22 per cent, respectively. The affluent group with incomes above Rs12,000 also suffered a surge in SPI to the extent of 0.25 per cent.

As a result, the SPI index, with 2000-01 as the base year, rose to 107.85 during the period under report. When compared with the corresponding week of previous year, the SPI registered an increase of 3.27 per cent.

According to the FBS data, the prices of 13 items went up during the period under review as compared to previous week. These were: tomatoes (18.49%), bananas (2.53%), onions (2.42%), tea (prepared) (1.39%), cooked beef plate (0.67%), sugar and shifting (0.25%), gur (0.21%), masoor pulse washed (0.20%), mutton (0.15%), coarse latha (0.07%) and kerosene (0.04%).

The week under report also saw decrease in average prices of 10 essential items. These included: (6.34%), garlic (2.38%), potatoes (1.40%), electric bulb (60 watts) (0.95%), gram pulse washed (-0.24%), red chilies (powdered) (0.18%), vegetable ghee (loose) (0.12%), mash pulse washed (0.05%), moong pulse washed and mustard oil (0.3%).

The second table provided by the FBS gives comparative prices/charges of transport and communication group which recorded an increase of 9.93 per cent during February 2003.

It shows that the Transport & Communication Index mounted to 115.6 in February 2003 as compared to 104.76 during the same month of previous year and to 112.02 in January 2003.

The cost of petrol super jumped up by 17.14 per cent in Feb 2003 over the same month of previous year and by 8.33 per cent over the previous month.

In January 2002, the of high speed diesel (HSD) was selling at Rs15.92 per litre; by the end of February 2003, its price had been raised to Rs25.14 — a hike of 57.72 per cent within one year. The CNG filling charges registered an increase of 0.64 per cent during the same period.

Likewise, the fares of public transport went up during the period under review. Thus auto rickshaw fares were increased as compared to corresponding period of previous year as follows:

Auto rickshaw: 3.37%; taxi 4 seater fare: 0.11%; bus fare minimum (within city): 17.06%, bus fare maximum (within city): 9.68%; bus fare (outside city): 17.24%; A/C bus fare (outside city): 12.24%; minibus fare minimum (within city):27.12%; minibus fare maximum (within city): 13.85%; Suzuki fare minimum (within city): 6.69%; Suzuki fare maximum (within city): 10.41%; train fare Economy 101-500-km: 14.29%; train fare Economy over 500-km: 11.11%; train fare 1st Sleeper 1-100-km: 16.67%; train fare 1st. Sleeper 101-500-km: 13.79%; train fare 1st sleeper over 55-km: 13.04%; train fare A/C sleeper 101-500-km: 8.33%; train fare A/C sleeper over 500-km: 8.59%; TCS charges minimum within zone: 8.70%; car tax for 800 CC to 1300CC: 29.33% (and 18.65% over January 2003).

The only items whose cost decreased during February 2003 as compared to the same period of previous year were: telephone charges local call from Rs2.39 to Rs2.31 per call, equivalent to 3.35 per cent reduction; and internet charges: 14.69 per cent.