ISLAMABAD: Monthly inflation rose to 9.2 per cent in April, according to data compiled by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

Inflation, measured through Consumer Price Index (CPI), rose mainly due to increase in the prices of food items, especially potatoes.

The PBS figures showed that inflation measured through Sensitive Price Index (SPI) stood at 9.78pc in April. The wholesale manufactured products also increased 8.28pc over the same month last year.

However, to rein in inflation, the Federal Board of Revenue notified 25pc regulatory duty on export of potato on Friday. It also withdrew customs duty, sales tax and withholding tax on import of potato from May 5 until July 31. The facility of exemption was restricted to import quota of 200,000 tonnes of commodity. Currently potato retail price varied between Rs60 a kg and Rs70 in markets.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar had projected that inflation would ease in the months ahead owing to decline in prices of petroleum products, but it proved otherwise. The imported commodities are still on the higher side despite rupee’s appreciation against the US dollar.

The inflation rate crossed government’s annual target of 8pc for 2013-14 compared to 7.38pc in 2012-13, for the first time since December 2013. It stood at 8.69pc during the 10-month period, higher than the annual target projected for FY-14.

Core inflation, which is non-food and non-energy inflation, stood at 8.5pc in the month under review, rising by 1.9pc from the previous month. Higher core inflation suggests an upward movement in the interest rate in the next monetary policy review.

The food inflation stood at 9.9pc in April which is almost close to double digit. It is mainly driven by non-perishable products which witnessed an increase of 17pc during the month under review.

The food items whose prices rose during the month include potatoes (42.06pc), fresh fruit (22.02pc), fresh vegetables (14.72pc), onion (9.04pc), beverages (3.46pc), betel-leaves and nuts (2.87pc), chicken (2.63pc), powdered milk (2.36pc), condiments (1.48pc), moong (1.37pc), milk products (1.32pc) and fish (1.00pc).

Non-food inflation stood at 8.7pc during the month, and items or services whose prices increased included education (9.68pc), text-books (4.26pc), cotton cloth (2.77pc), stationery (2.70pc), medical equipment (2.17pc), house rent (2.10pc), hosiery (1.96pc), readymade garments (1.61pc), construction input items (1.43pc), and furniture (1.09pc).