ISLAMABAD  - The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the week ended on July 5 decreased by 0.16 percent for the lowest income group up to Rs.8000 as compared to the last week.

The SPI for the lowest income group up to Rs 8,000 decreased from 178.02 points of last week to 177.73 points during the week under review, according to data 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 income groups ranging from Rs.8001-12,000, 12,001-18,000 and 18,001-35,000 witnessed negative growth of 0.30 percent, 0.14 percent and 3.49 percent respectively.
For the income groups ranging from 18,001 to above 35,000, weekly inflation registered decrease of about 5.82 percent, while it decreased 2.73 percent for combined income group as it went down from 188.75 points to 183.60 points in the week under review.
However, as compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined group in the week under review witnessed increase of 7.22 percent.
During the week under review, average prices of 14 items registered decrease, while that of 21 items increase with the remaining 18 items’ prices unchanged. The items which recorded decrease in their average prices during the week under review included gas, petrol, diesel, kerosene oil, diesel, LPG, tea, masoor pulses (washed), bananas, gram pulses (washed), mash pulses (washed), moong pulses, vegetable ghee, wheat and wheat flour.
The items which registered increase in their prices included tomatoes, onions, chicken live (farm), potatoes, gur, cigarettes, egg (farm), cooking oil (ton), lawn, milk fresh, vegetable ghee (tin), mustard oil, crude, milk powder, washing soap, red chillies powder, mutton, fire wood, rice basmati (broken), and sugar.
The items with no change in their average prices during the week under review included rice irri-6, bread plain, beef, salt powder, cooked beef (plate), cooked dal (plate), tea prepared (cup), long cloth, shirting, georgette, sandal gents, sandal ladies, electric charges, energy savors, match box, telephone call and bath soap.