ISLAMABAD-The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) based weekly inflation for the week ended on February 18, for the combined consumption group, witnessed increase of 0.55 per cent as compared to the previous week. The SPI for the week under review in the above mentioned group was recorded at 143.63 points against 142.85 points registered in the previous week, according to the latest data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) released here Friday. As compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined consumption group in the week under review witnessed an increase of 9.92 per cent.
The weekly SPI with base year 2015-16=100 is covering 17 urban centers and 51 essential items for all expenditure groups. The Sensitive Price Indicator for the lowest consumption group up to Rs17,732 witnessed 0.55 per cent increase and went up from 147.67  points in last week to 148.48 points during the week under review. Meanwhile, the SPI for the consumption groups from Rs17,732-22,888; Rs22,889-29,517; Rs29,518-44,175; and above Rs 44,175 per month increased by 0.58 per cent, 0.56 per cent, 0.56 and 0.54 per cent respectively. During the week, prices of 08 items decreased, 25 items increased while that of18 items remained constant.
The items, which recorded decrease in their average prices, included tomatoes, LPG Cylinder, potatoes, wheat flour, onions, tea (packet), milk (powdered) and garlic. The commodities, which recorded increase in their average prices, included chicken, lawn, long cloth, gram pulse, mash pulse, chillies, eggs, rice (Irri 6/9), match box, vegetable ghee (tin), moong pulse, vegetable ghee (loose), mustard oil, masoor pulse, rice (Basmati broken), cooked beef, georgette, sugar, beef, gur, milk (fresh), mutton, curd and firewood.
Similarly, the prices of the commodities that observed no change during the week under review included bread, cooking oil (loose), salt, cooked daal, tea (prepared), cigarettes, shirting, gents sandal, gents chappal, ladies sandal, electricity charges, gas charges, energy saver, washing sopa, petrol, diesel, telephone call and toile soap.