Essential Commodities Inflation of this week rises 0.17pc

According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI)-based inflation rate rose by 0.17 percent for the week ended February 9, 2023, driven by higher prices for food items like potatoes (7.15 percent), chicken (6.94 percent), bananas (6.53 percent), rice basmati broken (3.80 percent), vegetable ghee 2.5 kg (2.71 percent), cooking oil 5 kg (2.60 percent), maash (2.42 percent), and non-food items like LPG (3.06percent).

The year-on-year trend shows an increase of 34.83 percent, primarily due to an increase in the prices of onions (507.98 percent), chicken (93.21 percent), diesel (81.41 percent), eggs (79.19 percent), rice basmati broken (68.92 percent), petrol (68.77 percent), rice irri-6/9 (68.26 percent), moong (66.30 percent), tea Lipton (63.92 percent), bananas (61.88 percent), pulse gram (56.80 percent), bread (50.66 percent), LPG (50.41 percent), maash (50.25 percent) and salt powdered (46.46 percent), while decrease is observed in the prices of tomatoes (57.76 percent), chillies powdered (12.43 percent) and electricity for Q1 (12.31 percent).

The SPI-based inflation for the week under review in the above mentioned group was recorded at 228.17 points against 227.79 points registered in the previous week, according to the latest PBS data released on Friday.

During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 29 (56.87 percent) items increased, five (9.80 percent) items decreased and 17 (33.33 percent) items remained stable.

The Essential Commodities Inflation for the consumption group up to Rs17,732 declined by 0.06 percent, while it grew for the consumption groups Rs17,732-22,888, Rs22,889-29,517, Rs29,518-44,175 and beyond Rs44,175 by 0.02 percent, 0.10 percent, 0.14 percent, and 0.22 percent, respectively.

Potatoes (7.15 percent), chicken (6.94 percent), bananas (6.53 percent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib or other superior quality 1kg pouch each (5.67 percent), rice basmati broken (3.80 percent), rice irri-6/9 (3.64 percent), LPG (3.06 percent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib 2.5 kg tin each (2.71 percent), cooking oil Dalda or other similar brand (sn), 5 litre tin each (2.60 percent), pulse mash (2.42 percent), cigarettes capstan 20’s packet each (2.25 percent), garlic (2.20 percent), moong (2.20 percent) Mustard oil (2.20 percent), powdered milk Nido390 gm polybag each (1.88 percent), pulse gramme (1.87 percent), curd (1.83 percent), tea made (1.77 percent), fresh milk (1.52 percent), match box (1.47 percent), Sufi washing soap (1.39 percent), plain bread (1.25 percent), masoor (1.23 percent), energy saver Philips (0.79 percent), salt powdered (0.65 percent), firewood whole 40 (0.09 percent).

The commodities, which recorded a decrease in their average prices included onions (9.83 percent), tomatoes (5.40 percent), eggs (3.40 percent), wheat flour bag 20 kg (2.71 percent) and sugar (0.31 percent).

Beef with bone, mutton, chilli powder from National, tea from Lipton Yellow Label, long cloth from Gul Ahmed/Al Karam, shirting, and lawn printed were among the items with stable prices. Georgette, a pair of men’s Bata sandals, Gul Ahmed/Al Karam, and men’s sponge chappals Bata pair, ladies sandal Bata pair, electricity, gas, petrol super, hi-speed diesel, call fees, and toilet soap are all included in the price.