ISLAMABAD: Inflation measured through Sensitive Price Index (SPI) recorded an increase of 1.35 per cent week-on-week for the combined income group in the period ended on Feb 3 following a surge in the prices of essential food and non-food items, data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) showed on Friday.
Tomatoes witnessed a massive jump of 90.13pc over the preceding week followed by chicken 10.50pc, garlic 5.67pc, bananas 2.47pc, mustard oil 2.38pc and non-food items LPG 1.54pc and energy saver 1.06pc.On year-on-year basis, the SPI for the combined income group witnessed an increase 19.53pc as the prices of tomatoes surged by 232.93pc, electricity for quarter 1 (81.39pc), LPG (54.24pc), mustard oil (49.61pc), cooking oil 5-litre (46.29pc), washing soap (41.74pc), vegetable ghee 1kg (41.31pc), vegetable ghee 2.5kg (41pc, pulse masoor (39pc, garlic (35.68pc), petrol (34.87pc) and diesel (27.35pc). According to the data, the food commodities that witnessed a decrease in prices week-on-week included potatoes and onions, which recorded a fall of 6.06pc and 3.59pc, respectively.
The other food products that witnessed a decrease in prices included eggs (3.53pc), sugar (0.83pc), dal mash (0.48pc) and moong (0.19pc).
On a year-on-year basis, the commodities that witnessed a decrease in prices during the week included dal moong (26.55pc), chillies powdered (22.44pc), onions (5.58pc), potatoes (2.61pc) and chicken (1.86pc).During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 22 items increased, six items decreased and 23 items remained stable. Meanwhile, the SPI for the consumption groups from Rs17,732-22,888, Rs22,889-29,517, Rs29,518-44,175 and above Rs 44,175 increased by 1.60pc and 1.48pc, 1.43pc and 1.23pc, respectively.
