The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the week ended January 20, 2022, recorded a decrease of 0.06 percent due to a decrease in prices of food items, says the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
The year-on-year trend depicts an increase of 19.36 percent mainly due to an increase in electricity for Q1 (81.39 percent), LPG (52.39 percent). Other commodities that contributed to the increase were gents sponge chappal, which increased by 50.25 percent, cooking oil 5 liters which increased by 49.83 percent, mustard oil, which increased by 46.28 percent, vegetable ghee 1 kg, which increased by 45.88 percent, vegetable ghee 2.5 kg which increased by 45.40 percent, washing soap, which increased by 44.79 percent, gents sandal which increased by 44.49 percent, pulse masoor which increased by 38.55 percent, petrol which increased by 34.87 percent and diesel 27.35 percent.
However, during this time period, a major decrease was also observed in the prices of pulse moong which decreased by 27.20 percent, powdered chilies which decreased by 6.71 percent, tomatoes which decreased by 6.04 percent, and onions which decreased by 1.47 percent.
According to the latest data, the SPI went down from 167.39 percent during the week ended 13 January 2022, to 167.29 percent during the week under review.
The SPI for the consumption groups increased by 0.02 percent for Rs. 17,732, while for Rs. 17,733 to Rs. 22,888, Rs. 22,889 to Rs. 29,517, Rs. 29,518 to Rs. 44,175 and for above Rs. 44,175 decreased by 0.13 percent, 0.05 percent, 0.01 percent and 0.01 percent respectively. During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 24 items increased, seven items decreased and 20 items remained stable, said the PBS in weekly SPI data.
The commodities, which recorded an increase in their average prices include tomatoes with an increase of 35.27 percent, garlic with an increase of 3.79 percent, matchbox each with an increase of 3.10 percent, hi-speed diesel (HSD) per liter with an increase of 2.09 percent, petrol super per liter with an increase of 2.07 percent, firewood whole 40 kg with an increase of 2.01 percent, beef with bone with an increase of 1.60 percent, pulse gram with an increase of 1.52 percent, mutton with an increase of 1.45 percent, bananas with an increase of 1.03 percent, and mustard oil with an increase of 0.98 percent.
In addition, powdered milk Nido 390 gm polybag each with an increase of 0.97 percent, energy saver with an increase of 0.75 percent, pulse mash with an increase of 0.47 percent, shirting with an increase of 0.43 percent, wheat flour bag 20 kg with an increase of 0.27 percent, rice basmati broken with an increase of 0.19 percent, cooked beef with an increase of 0.14 percent, cooking oil Dalda or other similar brands (sn), 5-liter tin each with an increase of 0.14 percent, cooked daal with an increase of 0.11 percent, milk fresh with an increase of 0.11 percent, LPG with an increase of 0.10 percent, curd with an increase of 0.05 percent and rice irri-6/9 with an increase of 0.04 percent, all reported an increase.
The commodities which recorded a decrease in their prices during the period under review include chicken with a decrease of 7.74 percent, onions with a decrease of 4.47 percent, potatoes with a decrease of 1.89 percent, electricity charges for Q1 per unit with a decrease of 1.88 percent, eggs with a decrease of 1.67 percent, pulse moong with a decrease of 0.89 percent and sugar with a decrease of 0.39 percent.
Source: Pro Pakistani