The weekly inflation, measured by the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), witnessed a decrease of 0.16 per cent for the combined consumption group during the week ended on May 18, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported on Friday. The SPI for the week under review in the above-mentioned group was recorded at 255.12 points as compared to 255.53 points during the past week, according to the PBS data. As compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined consumption group in the week under review witnessed an increase of 45.72 per cent.

The weekly SPI with the base year 2015-16 =100 is covering 17 urban centres and 51 essential items for all expenditure groups. The SPI for the lowest consumption group up to Rs17,732 witnessed a 0.05 per cent increase and went up to 261.65 points from last week's 261.53 points. Meanwhile, the SPI for the consumption group Rs 17,732-22-888 and Rs 22,889-29,517 witnessed an increase of 0.04 per cent and 0.01 per cent whereas the SPI for the consumption group Rs 29,518-44,175; and above Rs 44,175 witnessed a decrease of 0.04 per cent, and 0.29 per cent respectively. During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 23 (45.10%) items increased, 13 (25. 49%) items decreased and 15 (29.41%) items remained stable.

The items, which recorded a decrease in their average prices on a week-on-week (WoW), included Onions (9.04%), Garlic (1.76%), Sugar (1.42%), Wheat Flour (1.40%), Vegetable Ghee 2.5kg (0.63%), Mustard Oil (0.48%), Pulse Masoor (0.40%), Pulse Gram (0.12%) and Vegetable Ghee 1kg (0.11%), non-food items, Diesel (10.38%), petrol (4.24%), LPG (3.02%) and Firewood (0.89%). The items that recorded an increase in their average prices on a week-on-week (wow) basis, included Chicken (7.51%), Tea Lipton (4.53%), Gur (2.79%), Eggs (2.29%), Energy Saver (2.22%), Tomatoes (2.11%), Tea Prepared (1.09%) and Curd (1.08%).

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-INP