Sensitive Price Indicator inflation up 7.22 percent YoY

In Pakistan the weekly Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) inflation surged by 7.22 percent during the week
ended October 9, 2014, reflecting an increase in prices of some essential commodities. The
provisional data, released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, shows that the SPI for the week under
review was recorded at 218.98 points against 204.24 over the same period of last year.
However, SPI inflation increased by 0.90 percent this week as compared to the previous week,
going up from 217.02 points to 218.98 points. The weekly SPI has been computed with base
2007-2008=100, covering 17 urban centers and 53 essential items for all income groups. The SPI
for the lowest income group up to Rs 8,000 registered an increase of 5.73 percent during the
week under review as compared to the same period last year.
During the week, average prices of 16 items registered an increase, while that of 9 registered a
decrease. The prices of 28 essential items remained same during the week under review. The 16
essential items which registered increase in prices during the week under review were tomatoes,
chicken live, match box, LPG cylinder 11kg, bananas, potatoes, red chilli powder loose, pulse
masoor washed, eggs, cooked beef, cooked daal, wheat flour bag, long cloth, curd, vegetable
ghee loose and kerosene oil.
The 9 items which registered decrease in prices during the week under review included onions,
pulse moong washed, gur, pulse gram washed, garlic, cooking oil tin, pulse mash washed, sugar
and rice basmati broken. The 28 essential items prices of which remained unchanged during the
week under review were wheat, rice irri-6 (Punjab/Sindh), bread plain-medium size, beef,
mutton, milk fresh, powdered milk Nido, mustard oil, vegetable ghee tin, salt powder loose
Lahori, tea Lipton Yellow Label, tea prepared, cigarettes k-2, shirting, lawn printed, georgette,
gents sandal Bata, gents chappal sponge Bata, ladies sandal Bata, electricity charges, gas
charges, firewood, energy saver 14w, washing soap 200-250g, petrol, diesel (HSD), telephone
local call charges and soap Lifebuoy