Islamabad - The weekly inflation for the week ended on April 16 for the lowest income group up to Rs 8,000 decreased by 0.39 percent as compared to the previous week.
The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the week under review in the above mentioned group was recorded at 200.78 points against 201.56 points registered in the previous week, according to data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). The weekly SPI has been computed with base 2007-2008=100, covering 17 urban centers and 53 essential items for all income groups and combined.
Meanwhile, the SPI for the combined income group was also decreased by 0.24 percent as it went down from 209.11 points in the previous week to 208.60 points in the week under review. Similarly, as compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined group in the week under review decreased by 1.93 percent.
As compared to the last week, the SPI for the income groups from Rs 8001-12,000, Rs 12,001-18,000 and 18,001-35,000 decreased by 1.84, 1.59, 1.65 and 2.31 percent respectively. During the week under review average prices of 16 items registered decrease, while that of 15 items increase with the remaining 23 items’ prices unchanged. The items which registered decrease in their prices during the week under review included tomatoes, potatoes, eggs, onions, cooking oil (tin), garlic, LPG cylinder, vegetable ghee (tin), wheat, pulse moong (washed), wheat flour, rice basmati broken, vegetable ghee, mustard oil , fire wood and pulse masoor (washed).
The items which recorded increase in their average prices included chicken, match box, gur, kerosene oil, bananas, sugar, pulse mash (washed), lawn printed, eeg, cooked beef, tea prepared, red chilly and mutton. The items with no change in their average prices during the week under review included rice-irr-6, bread plain, milk powder, curd, milk powder, salt powder, tea, cooked dal, cigarettes, long cloth, shirting, georgette, gents sandal, gents chappal, ladies sandal, electricity charges, gas charges, electric bulb, washing soap, petrol, telephone local call and bath soap.