RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: The headline inflation rose by 3.85 percent during July-January 2016 over the corresponding period of last fiscal year on the back of increase in the cost of petrol, food items, education and others.

Chief Statistician and Census Commissioner Asif Bajwa said this during a press briefing on monthly CPI inflation here Wednesday.

Talking about the upcoming census, the chief statistician and census commissioner stated that overseas Pakistani will not be covered in the census and only those who have been living in the country for the last six months would be counted.

Bajwa said in the first phase, the census would cover capital cities, including Muzaffarabad, from March 15, 2016 with one enumerator will handle two blocks. Bajwa said there is no issue of funds as the Finance Division has provided the required financing for the exercise. Giving details about inflation, he said food & non-alcoholic beverages’ cost increased by 2.86 percent during July-January 2016, followed by non-perishable food items, 2.67 percent, perishable food items, 3.89 percent, alcoholic beverages & tobacco, 15.81 percent, clothing & footwear, 4.37 percent, housing, water, electricity, gas fuels, 4.82 percent, furnishing & household equipment maintenance, 3.44 percent, health 8.15 percent, transport, -3.60 percent, communication, 0.60 percent, recreation & culture, 1.42 percent, education, 10.06 percent, restaurant & hotels, 5.40 percent, and miscellaneous, 5.46 percent.

The commodities whose price increases contributed to surge inflation during July-January 2016 included; gram whole (44.63 per cent), pulse gram (38.22 per cent), besan (33.78 per cent), potatoes (25.23 per cent), fresh vegetables (18.92 per cent), pulse mash (16.07 per cent), cigarettes (15.87 per cent), eggs (12.08 per cent), sugar (10.87 per cent), betel leaves and nuts (10.46 per cent), education (10.12 per cent), and drugs & medicines (9.0 per cent).

The prices of following commodities decreased; onion by (41.52 per cent), motor fuel (8.72 per cent), chicken (7.76 per cent), kerosene oil (7.32 per cent), tomatoes (7.08 per cent), pulse moong (6.31 per cent), and motor vehicle accessories (5.96 per cent).

The monthly inflation during January 2016 over the same month a year ago rose by 3.66 per cent with food & non-alcoholic beverages 1.96 per cent, non-perishable food items, 1.88 per cent, perishable food items, 2.49 per cent, alcoholic beverages & tobacco, 12.11 per cent, clothing & footwear, 4.31 per cent, housing water, electricity, gas and other fuels, 4.89 per cent, furnishing and household equipment maintenance, 3.08 per cent, and health 14.88 per cent. However, transport cost during January 2016 over the same month a year ago decreased by 2.89 per cent. Inflation rate in communication increased by 0.71 per cent, recreation & culture, 1.51 per cent, education, 11.49 per cent, restaurant & hotel, 4.59 per cent, and miscellaneous goods & services by 4.95 per cent.

The commodities whose price increases contributed to surge inflation in January 2017 over previous month of December 2016 included; cucumber, 10.44 per cent, pomegranate, 9.02 per cent, kinnow 4.46 per cent, guava 4.39 per cent, orange/Mosammi, 3.57 per cent, bananas, 3.43 per cent, sugar refined, 3.10 per cent, toothpowder, 2.46 per cent, house rent, 2.0 per cent, and petrol & diesel 1.33 per cent.