ISLAMABAD: Inflation measured by the Sensitive Price Index (SPI) increased by 0.82 per cent from the previous week, mainly due to a slight increase in perishable food products, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) data released on Friday.

Last week, a 3.68pc increase was noted in the SPI, which was the highest since the change of the base year for measuring the SPI. On June 17, the second highest increase in weekly inflation was recorded at 3.38pc.

The year-on-year increase in the SPI was 38.63pc, the highest ever recorded. This is the highest increase recorded on a year-on-year (YoY) basis. Last week, the government increased the price of diesel while slightly lowering the price of petrol. The impact of diesel on prices will be visible in prices next week.

The PBS data shows that the prices of 33 essential food items increased during the week under review compared to the previous week.

The price of onions was up 24.92pc, tomatoes 11.93pc, pulse moong 5.72pc, pulse mash 5.28pc, potatoes 5.03pc, pulse masoor 4.43pc, pulse gram 2.69pc, eggs 2.44pc, powdered milk 1.61pc, gur 1.53pc, salt 1.46pc and garlic 1.30pc, respectively. In the non-food items, the price of diesel was up 3.78pc and LPG 1.49pc. The SPI increased by 1.16pc for the lowest income group (i.e., people earning below Rs17,732 per month) and by 0.69pc for the group with a monthly income of above Rs44,175.

The YoY increase in prices of diesel was 109.15pc, onions 107.95pc, pulse masoor 106.71pc, petrol 88.94pc, cooking oil 5 litre 74.44pc, mustard oil 73.89pc, chicken 73.42pc, vegetable ghee 1 kg 72.26pc, vegetable ghee 2.5 kg 70.48pc, washing soap 62.62pc, pulse gram 59.07pc, electricity 52.61pc, gents sponge chappal 52.21pc, pulse mash 46.01pc and garlic 41.16pc.

Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2022