ISLAMABAD - The weekly inflation for the week ended on August 3 for the combined income groups increased by 0.02 percent as compared to the previous week.

According to the data released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Friday, the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the week under review in the above mentioned group was recorded at 218.80 points against 218.75 points last week. As compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined group in the week under review witnessed decrease of 0.05 percent.

The weekly SPI has been computed with base 2007, 2008=100, covering 17 urban centres and 53 essential items for all income groups. Meanwhile, the SPI for the lowest income group up to Rs8,000 increased by 0.01 percent as it went down from 208.29 points in the previous week to 208.32 points in the week under review.

As compared to the last week, the SPI for the income groups from Rs8001 to 12,000 and Rs12,001 to 18,000 witnessed an increase of 0.03 percent and 0.02 percent while the SPI for the income groups from Rs18001 to Rs35000 and above Rs35000, decreased by 0.21 percent and 0.23 percent.

During the week under review, average prices of 13 items registered decrease, while 15 items increased with the remaining 25 items' prices unchanged. The items, which registered increase in their during the week under review included LPG Cylinder, 11 kg, tomatoes, onions, pulse masoor (washed), rice basmati (broken), mutton, beef, pulse gram (washed), milk fresh, sugar, curd, kerosene oil, firewood whole, mustard oil and vegetable ghee.

The items, which registered decrease in their prices during the week under review included bananas, tea, garlic, potatoes, chicken farm, pulse moong, wheat flour, eggs (farm), pulse mash, rice Irri-6, gur, red chilly powder, and wheat. The items with no change in their average prices during the week under review included bread plain, powdered milk, cooking oil, vegetable ghee, salt powder, cooked beef, cooked daal, tea, cigarettes, long cloth, shirting, lawn printed, georgette, gents sandal, electricity charges, gas charges, electric bulb, washing soap, match box, petrol, HI Speed Diesel, telephone local call, and bathing soap.