KARACHI: Out of 53 daily useable commodities, average prices of 15 commodities witnessed decline while prices of 20 commodities remained flat during the week ended on November 17, 2011.
The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the said week for the lowest income group was up to Rs 8,000, registering a decrease of 1.12 percent over the previous week. The decline in inflation rate was due to various government measures, including tight monetary policy as well as the decreasing trend in international prices of sugar, wheat, tea, palm oil and crude oil.
Prices of around 18 items increased as the SPI for the week under review recorded at 171.41 points as against 173.36 points in the previous week, according to the Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS). The weekly SPI has been computed with base 2007 2008=100 covering 17 urban centres and 53 essential items for all income groups and combined.
The SPI for the combined group registered decrease of 1.02 percent by going down from 179.19 in the previous week to 177.36 in the current week.
As compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for combined group in the current week witnessed an increase of 5.68 percent.
As compared to the last week, the SPI for the income groups ranging from Rs 8001 12000, Rs 12001 18000, Rs 18001 35000 and above Rs 35,000 witnessed decrease of 1.10 percent, 1.12 percent, 1.05 percent and 0.91 percent respectively.
The items which recorded decrease in their average prices during the week included tomatoes, potatoes, onions, gur, moong pulse (washed), long cloth, sugar, garlic, chicken live (farm), rice (irri-6), cooked beef, vegetable ghee (loose), gram pulse (washed), cooked dal and beef.
The items, which registered increase in their prices included egg hen (farm), bananas, lawn, wheat, energy savor (14 watts), wheat flour (bag), tea (prepared), milk (fresh), firewood, curd, masoor pulse (washed), georgette, shirting, red chillies powder (loose), mutton, rice basmati (broken), mustard oil and mash pulse (washed).
The items with no change in their average prices during the week under review included bread plain (mid size), milk (powdered), cooking oil (tin), vegetable ghee (tin), salt powdered (loose), tea (packet), cigarettes, sandal (gents), chappal, sandal (ladies), electric charges, gas charges (upto 100m3), kerosene, washing soap, match box, petrol, diesel, LPG (11 kg cylinder), local telephone call and bath soap
