ISLAMABAD: Weekly Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) eased 1.28 percent in the week ended April 21 over the last week, driven by a welcome slide in the cost of some food items, official data showed on Friday.
SPI eased for second straight week, while it has remained in double digits for most of the current fiscal year.
Essential kitchen items’ prices declined in the week, which tamed the SPI inflation. Tomato prices were recorded with a decline of 44.4 percent to Rs56/kg, wheat flour 8.2 percent to Rs1073/20kg bag, bananas 2.5 percent to Rs127/dozen, and potatoes 2.2 percent to Rs35/kg.
Similarly, sugar, garlic, and moong pulse prices slipped by a percent to Rs86/kg, Rs311/kg, and 167/kg, respectively over the previous week.
The SPI that gauges weekly price movement of mostly kitchen items stood at 15.42 percent in the week under review over the same week a year earlier. It was recorded at 16.44 percent last week. Moreover, for the lowest income slab that earns up to Rs17,732/month, the SPI inflation stood at 12.94 percent, while for the group spending more than 44,175/month, it was recorded at 16.48 percent.
For the week concerned, average prices of 19 items (37.25pc) registered an increase, ten things (19.61pc) registered a decrease, while prices of 22 items (43.14pc) did not show any change, the SPI bulletin said. Over the last week, the prices of onions increased 10.24 percent to Rs63/kg, chicken by 1.8 percent to Rs274/kg, and eggs 1.65 percent to Rs136/dozen. Toilet soap prices were increased by 1.34 percent to Rs57/cake and masoor pulse by one percent to Rs222/kg. Other items which were dearer by less than a percent include mash pulse, mutton, mustard oil, beef, vegetable ghee, fresh milk, and cloths.
The bureau further reported that year-on-year; onions prices increased 101 percent to Rs63/kg, garlic 81 percent to Rs311/kg, vegetable ghee 58 percent to Rs1214/2.5kg tin, mustard oil 56 percent to Rs446/kg, and cooking oil 56 percent to Rs474/packet.
Similarly tomato prices increased YoY 47 percent to Rs56/kg, masoor pulse 43 percent to Rs222/kg, washing soap 39 percent to Rs81/cake, beef (with bone) 25 percent to Rs624/kg, mutton 23 percent to Rs1290/kg, salt 17 percent to Rs35/800gm packet, toilet soap 16 percent to Rs57/cake, plain bread 14 percent to Rs65, basmati rice 13 percent to Rs104/kg, gram 13 percent to Rs166/kg, tea packed 13 percent to Rs260/190gm packet, and fresh milk were costlier by 10 percent to Rs118/kg.
LPG price in one year was also increased by 80.4 percent to 244/11.67 kg cylinder, petrol 37 percent to Rs150.63/liter, diesel 30 percent to Rs144.9/liter, gents’ sponge chappal 20 percent to Rs299/pair, ladies sandal 17 percent to Rs700/pair, firewood 13 percent to Rs830/40kg, and shirting price up by 10 percent to Rs278/meter.
Items that witnessed a decrease in prices year-on-year include red chili powder, which declined 40 percent to Rs230/200gm packet, moong pulse by 27 percent to Rs167/kg, potatoes by 26 percent to Rs35/kg, eggs by 14 percent to R136/dozen, and sugar price down 9 percent to Rs86/kg over same week of last year.
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