ISLAMABAD  - The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the week ended on April 11, for the lowest income group up to Rs 8,000, decreased by 0.35 per cent as compared to the previous week.
The SPI for the week under review in the above mentioned group was recorded at 186.79 points against 187.45 points registered in the previous week, according to provisional figures 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.
The SPI for the combined group also decreased by 0.15 per cent as it went down from 192.55 points in the previous week to 192.27 points in the week under review.
As compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined group in the week under review witnessed increase of 4.19 percent. As compared to the last week, the SPI for the income groups from Rs.8001 12,000, 12,001 18,000, 18001 35,000 and above Rs.35,000 decreased by 0.27 percent, 0.22 percent, 0.16 and 0.04 percent respectively.
During the week under review, average prices of 10 items registered decrease, while that of 15 items increase with the remaining 28 items' prices unchanged.
The items which registered decrease in their prices during the week under review included onions, gram pulse (washed), wheat, LPG(11 kg cylinder), wheat flour (bag), red chillies (powder), egg hen (farm), mash pulse (washed), georgette, vegetable ghee (loose).
The items which recorded increase in their average prices included garlic, tomatoes, chicken live (farm), tea (prepared), long cloth, bananas, mutton, sugar, moong pulse (washed), masoor pulse (washed), beef, lawn, potatoes, mustard oil and gur.
The items with no change in their average prices during the week under review included rice basmati (broken), rice (irri-6), bread (plain), milk (fresh), curd, milk (powdered), cooking oil(tin), vegetable ghee (tin), salt (powdered), tea (packet), cooked beef, cooked dal, cigarettes, shirting, sandal (gents), chappal(gents), sandal (ladies), electric charges, gas charges, kerosene oil, firewood, energy savor, washing soap, match box, petrol, diesel, telephone local call and bath soap.