Inflation up by 13.68pc

ISLAMABAD - The hike in electricity and gas tariffs in January last has exerted an upward pressure on general price level, as inflation based on Consumer Price Index (CPI) has surged by 13.68 percent in previous month over the corresponding period of the last year.
Government enhanced the electricity and gas tariffs with the outset of New Year 2010 due to which inflationary pressures once again built up. Though December 2009 witnessed a slight decline in CPI based inflation, however it surged by 2.42 percent in January 2010 over December 2009.
Economic experts believed that inflation for the month of February would further increase, as Government enhanced the petroleum products for the ongoing month up to nine percent.
According to the figures released by Federal Bureau of Statistics, CPI based inflation in January increased by 13.68 percent over the same month of 2009. Meanwhile CPI based inflation has recorded at 10.79 percent in the first seven months (July-January) of the ongoing financial year over the same period of 2008-09.
While, inflation based on Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) has recorded at 10.96 percent in the first seven months of 2009-10, and inflation based on Wholesale Price Index (WPI) stands at 7.21 percent in July-January period, as compared to the same period of the last fiscal year.
However CPI based inflation has been increased by 2.42 percent in the month of January if compared with December 2009. In January, SPI based inflation increased by 2.88 percent while WPI based inflation enhanced by 4.23 percent over December 2009.
The break-up of CPI based on general inflation (13.68 percent in January 2010) illustrated that apart from 15.49 percent food inflation, apparel, textile and footwear inflation soared by 5.18 percent in January 2010 over the same period of the last year. Similarly, house rents were increased by 13.38 percent.
The fuel prices went up by 20.19 percent, household, furniture and equipment by 5.62 percent, recreation and entertainment up by 2.10 percent, education became expensive by 13.68 percent, cleaning and laundry rates swelled by 11.46 percent and medicare rates shot up by 5.88 percent, while transport and communication went down by 9.43 percent.
If we compare the prices of main kitchen commodities in January with their prices in December, the increase in rates is as follows: egg 28.43, percent; sugar, 20.64 percent; cigarettes, 4.95 percent; chicken, 4.59 percent; fresh fruits, 4.17 percent; pulse moong, 3.91 percent; gur, 3.85 percent; pulse gram, 3.72 percent; onions, 3.67 percent; gram whole, 3.56 percent; pulse mash, 3.40 percent; besan, 3.24 percent; mustered oil, 2.99 percent; rice, 2.86 percent; honey, 2.76 percent; spices, 2.43 percent; vegetable ghee, 2.28 percent; dry fruits, 2.23 percent; and wheat flour, 2.22 percent. Meanwhile in apparel, textile and footwear group, prices of silk, linen, woollen/cloth went up by 1.80 percent and hosiery by 0.97 percent.
In fuel and lighting group, prices of electricity increased by 15.88 percent, natural gas, 15.68 percent; kerosene, 4.94 percent; and firewood, 1.01 percent. While in Transport and Communication group, prices of CNG filling charges soared by 9.87 percent, petrol, 9.19 percent, diesel, 4.88 percent, and vehicles, 1.24 percent, in the month of January over December.
Similarly in cleaning, laundry and personal appearances, prices of laundry charges increased by 4.77 percent, jewellery, 2.58 percent, and haircut and beauty charges, 0.89 percent. In medicare group, doctors fee went up by 4.42 percent in January over December.