ISLAMABAD, Feb 2: After remaining in the negative for two consecutive weeks, the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) witnessed an increase for the week ended on Jan 31.However, inflationary impact was the highest for the top income group.
The data released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) here on Friday revealed that SPI for the combined income group increased by 0.06 per cent as it went up from 190.60 points in the previous week to 190.72 points in the week under review.
For the highest income bracket earning more than Rs35,000, the weekly based inflation increased by 0.13 per cent, mainly owing to the increase in prices of tomatoes, bananas and local telephone charges.“Average tomato prices jacked by around Rs10 per kg in the week, while bananas are well above Rs58 per dozen, therefore the mid level or lower income group people consume only a limited quantity of these items,” said an economist at the Planning Commission.
He added that apart from consumption pattern increase in prices of these produce have been offset by lowering of rates in other items consumed more widely by the low and mid income groups.
The SPI increased nominally by 0.03 per cent for the lowest income group earning up to Rs.8,000 per month compared to the previous week.
Similarly, the SPI for the income groups from Rs.8001-Rs12,000, Rs12,001- Rs18,000 and Rs18,001-Rs35,000 increased by 0.01pc, 0.02pc and 0.03pc respectively.
During the week under review, average prices of 14 items registered decrease while that of 12 items increased with the remaining 27 items’ prices unchanged.
The items which recorded increase in their average prices included tomatoes, telephone local call, onions, bananas, rice irri-6, moong washed, firewood, dal, broken basmati rice, mash washed, garlic and shirting.
The items which registered decrease in their prices during the week under review included farm chicken eggs, LPG, farm chicken, potatoes, washed gram, sugar, gur, washed masoor, vegetable ghee tin packed, wheat, wheat flour, red chillies, cooking oil and vegetable ghee.
The items with no change in their average prices during the week under review included plain bread, beef, mutton, fresh milk, curd, powdered milk, mustard oil, powdered salt, packet tea, cooked beef, prepared tea, cigarettes, long cloth, lawn, georgette, gents sandal, gents chappal, ladies sandal, electricity and gas charges, kerosene oil, bulb energy saver, washing soap, match box, petrol, diesel and bath soap.
The weekly based SPI is computed with base 2007-2008 covering 17 urban centres and 53 essential items for all income groups and combined.