ISLAMABAD-Inflation measured through the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) posted an increase of 0.78 percent during the week ended on August 17 driven by increase in the prices of essential food and non-food items.
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) data showed that SPI-based inflation recorded an increase of 0.78 percent on a weekly basis. The SPI went up from 273.43 percent during the week ended August 10, 2023 to 275.57 percent during the week ended on August 17.
The year on year trend depicts increase of 27.57 percent, wheat flour (131.29 percent), gas charges (108.38 percent), cigarettes (106.89 percent), tea Lipton (95.19 percent), rice basmati broken (88.76 percent), chili’s powder (86.05 percent), rice Irri6/9 (84.16 percent), sugar (74.71 percent), Gur (63.00%), chicken (58.56 percent), potatoes (56.30 percent) and salt powdered (49.09 percent). Meanwhile, decrease is observed in the prices of onions (28.85 percent), electricity (21.96 percent), pulse Masoor (14.85 percent) and vegetable ghee 1 kg (1.20 percent).
The latest data showed that the SPI for the consumption groups up to Rs17,733, Rs17,733 to Rs22,888, Rs22,889 to Rs29,517, Rs29,518 to Rs44,175 and for above Rs44,175 increased by 0.36 percent, 0.43 percent, 0.51 percent, 0.64 percent and 0.98 percent respectively.
During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 32 (62.75 percent) items increased, 07 (13.72 percent) items decreased and 12 (23.53 percent) items remained stable.
The SPI for the current week ended on 17th August, 2023 increased by 0.78 percent. Major increase was observed in the prices of food items, chillies powder (7.58 percent), rice Irri-6/9 (7.48 percent), garlic (5.06 percent), sugar (4.02 percent), Gur (3.23 percent), rice basmati broken (3.06 percent), chicken (2.83 percent) and bananas (2.72 percent), non-food items, diesel (7.29 percent) and petrol (6.40 percent).
On the other hand decrease is observed in the prices of tomatoes (13.60 percent), cooking oil 5 litre (1.65 percent), vegetable ghee 2.5 kg (0.85 percent), vegetable ghee 1 kg (0.43 percent), firewood (0.42 percent), mustard oil (0.23 percent) and wheat flour (0.19 percent).
The commodities which prices remained unchanged during the period included bread plain (small size), salt powdered, tea Lipton Yellow Label, gents sandal Bata, gents sponge chappal Bata, ladies sandal Bata, electricity charges, gas charges upto 3.3719 MMBTU and telephone call charges.
The economic experts believed that inflation would surge in the weeks to come mainly due to the continuous increase in oil prices.