ISLAMABAD - Cement prices in the country have increased by over 22 per cent in one year period, as it has recorded Rs 425 per bag during the week against Rs 348 per bag of the same period last year, reveals Pakistan Bureau of Statistics on Friday.
According to the latest figures, the average price of cement in the country has been recorded at Rs 425 per bag during the week ended on January 26 against the Rs 348 per bag in the same period last year. According to the market sources, construction activities in the country continued leading to increase the prices of cement. Market sources further said that it is the demand-driven increase in the commodity price, as demand for the commodity has improved from last few weeks.
The data further revealed that highest cement price has been recorded in Quetta, as commodity bag was sold at Rs 470 followed by Rs 430 in Lahore, Rs 426 in Peshawar, Rs 425 in Islamabad, Rs 422 in Multan, Rs 420 in Rawalpindi, Rs 405 in Hyderabad and Rs 400 in Karachi.
Meanwhile, according to PBS figures, inflation based on Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) has shown minor increase of 0.45 per cent during the week ended on Thursday against the previous week. However on annual basis, it has increased by 7.88 per cent.
According to the latest inflation figures released by FBS, the SPI has increased by 0.15 per cent for income group above Rs35, 000 over the previous week, while for income bracket of Rs18, 001-Rs35, 000 the impact was 0.14 per cent.
Meanwhile, the SPI has increased by 0.14 and 0.12 per cent for the middle-income group Rs12,001-Rs18,000 and Rs8,001-Rs12,000 respectively. While it enhanced by 0.11 per cent for the income group up to Rs8, 000. The weekly SPI with base year of 2007-2008 is calculated covering 17 urban centres and 53 essential items for all income groups.
According to the figures, prices of 20 items increased in last week. Per kg price of tomatoes increased to Rs 42.63 from Rs 41.42, price of per kg chicken enhanced to Rs 164.97 from Rs 160.85, per 11 kg garlic price surged to Rs 94.05 from Rs 92.84, per meter lawn price went up to Rs 108.94 from Rs 107.62, per 11 kg LPG cylinder price soared to Rs 1543 from Rs 1525.  Similarly prices of mutton, beef, firewood, rice basmati broken and wheat flour also increase during the period under review.
On the other hand, prices of 11 items showed decrease during the week ended on December 5 as compare to last week. Prices of potatoes, gur, sugar, moong pulse washed, mash pulse washed, garlic, gram pulse washed, red chilies powder and wheat flour bag were reduced in the period under review.
However, the prices of 23 items remained unchanged during the week under review.