ISLAMABAD : The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) based weekly inflation for the week ended on March 29, for the combined income groups, witnessed a decrease of 0.16 percent as compared to the previous week. The SPI for the week under review in the above mentioned group was recorded at 221.09 points against 221.45 points last week, according to latest data released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). As compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined group in the week under review also witnessed decrease of 2 per cent.–APP

The weekly SPI has been computed with base 2007, 2008=100, covering 17 urban centers and 53 essential items for all income groups.

Meanwhile, the SPI for the lowest income group up to Rs 8,000 also decreased by 0.16 percent as it went down from 209.09 points in the previous week to 208.76 points in the week under review.

As compared to the last week, the SPI for the income groups from Rs 8001 to 12,000, Rs 12,001 to 18,000, Rs 18,001 to 35,000 and for income groups of above Rs 35000 also decreased by 0.16 percent, 0.16 percent, 0.17 percent, and 0.16 percent.

During the week under review, average prices of 13 items registered decrease, while 10 items increased with the remaining 30 items prices unchanged.

The items, which registered decrease in their prices during the week under review, included chicken, onions, eggs, garlic, mash pulse, gur, potatoes, gram pulse, wheat flour, moong pulse, wheat mustard oil and masoor pulse.

The items, which registered increase in prices, included tomatoes, bananas, sugar, beef, red chilly, tea (packet), vegetable ghee, mutton, soap and LPG cylinder.

The items with no change in their average prices during the week under review included rice (basmati broken), rice (irri-6), bread, milk (fresh), curd, milk (powdered), cooking oil (tin), vegetable ghee (loose), salt, cooked beef, cooked daal, tea (prepared), cigarettes, long cloth, shirting, lawn, georgette, gents sandal, gents chappal, ladies sandal, electricity charges, gas charges, kerosene oil, firewood, electric bulb, washing soap, match box, petrol, diesel and telephone local call.