ZAHEER ABBASI

ISLAMABAD: The CPI inflation eased to 3.80 percent in February 2018 over the same month of the last fiscal year primarily on account of decrease in alcoholic beverage and tobacco cost, according to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

Statistics of monthly inflation released by the PBS on Thursday for February 2018 showed 12.13 percent increase in the cost of education which, analysts said, will have direct impact on everyone.

Sources on condition of anonymity said that despite ease in CPI inflation, there will be no let-up for the common man as decrease was led by decline in cost of tobacco. They added that decrease in some taxes on tobacco in June 2017 as well as cut in use of cold drinks due to seasonal factor appears to have caused decline in inflation in recent months.

The CPI inflation decreased by 0.31 percent in February over previous month; however, it was recorded at 3.84 percent for the last seven months (July-Feb 2017) of the outgoing fiscal year over the same period a year ago.

The cost of food and non-alcoholic beverages increased by 3.42 percent in February 2018 over the same month a year before, while increase in non-perishable food items remained 2.63 percent, perishable food items, 8.56 percent, clothing & footwear, 4.56 percent, housing water, electricity, gas & other fuels, 4.20 percent, furnishing & household equipment maintenance, 4.09 percent, health, 4.95 percent, transport, 5.56 percent, communication, 1.29 percent, recreation & culture, 0.88 percent, education, 12.13 percent, restaurant & hotel, 6.52 percent, and cost of miscellaneous goods & services went up by 5.87 percent. However, there was a decline of 17.43 percent in the cost of alcoholic beverages & tobacco.

On month-on-month basis, top few items whose cost increased over January 2017 included betel nuts, 72.17 percent, diesel, 6.60 percent, bus fare, 6.54 percent, kerosene oil, 3.75 percent, petrol, 3.66 percent, newspapers, 3.27 percent, tea Lipton, 3.15 percent, doctor MBBS fee, 1.93 percent, synthetic enamel Robialac, 1.75 percent, and Danedar tea by 1.73 percent.

On year-on-year basis, top few items whose prices increased from February 2017 included betel nuts, 438.58 percent, chillies green, 51.83 percent, onion, 45.59 percent, kerosene, 24.07 percent, AC bus fare, 21.64 percent, chicken, 20.15 percent, diesel, 19.09 percent, petrol, 18.64 percent, iron bar, 15.59 percent, rice basmati, 15.52 percent, and TCS charges (within zone) by 11.98 percent.

The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) increased by 4.08 percent over the corresponding month of the last year, however a decrease of 0.15 percent was noted in February 2018 over previous month of January 2018.