National News

ISLAMABAD, Feb 23 (APP):The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) based weekly inflation for the week ended on February 22 for the combined income groups witnessed a decrease of 0.19 percent as compared to previous week.
The SPI for the week under review in the above mentioned group was recorded at 221.81 points against 222.24 points last week, according to latest data released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
As compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined group in the week under review witnessed increase of 0.98 per cent. The weekly SPI has been computed with base 2007, 2008=100, covering 17 urban centers and 53 essential items for all income groups.
Meanwhile, the SPI for the lowest income group up to Rs 8,000 also decreased by 0.23 percent as it went down from 210.55 points in the previous week to 210.07 points in the week under review.
As compared to the last week, the SPI for the income groups from Rs 8001 to 12,000, Rs 12,001 to 18,000, Rs 18,001 to 35,000, and income groups of above Rs 35,000 also decreased by 0.21 percent, 0.21 percent, and 0.20 percent, and 0/17 per cent respectively.
During the week under review, average prices of 18 items registered decrease, while 09 items increased with the remaining 26 items’ prices unchanged.
The items, which registered decrease in their prices during the week under review included tomatoes, onions, eggs (farm), LPG cylinder 11 kg, potatoes, sugar, rice IRRI-6, pulse masoor, chicken (farm), pulse mash, wheat, cooking oil, and vegetable ghee (tin).
The items, which registered increase in prices included garlic, tea, georgette, match box, pulse gram, beef, red chilly powder (loose), mutton, and wheat flour.
The items with no change in their average prices during the week under review included bread plain, milk fresh, curd, powdered milk, mustard oil, salt powder (loose), cooked beef, cooked pulses, tea prepared, cigarettes, long cloth, shirting, lawn printed, gnets shoes, ladies shoes, electricity charges, gas charges, kerosene oil, firewood whole, electric bulb, washing soap, petrol, Hi Speed Diesel, telephone local charges, and bathing soap.