ABDUL RASHEED AZAD

ISLAMABAD: The Consumer Price Index (CPI) based general inflation from October 2018 to October 2019 rose by 11.04 percent on year-on-year (YoY) basis, while on month-on-month (MoM) basis, the CPI in October 2019 against September 2019 increased by 1.8 percent.

According to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the national CPI in October 2019 witnessed an increase of 1.82 percent over September 2019 from 126.86 points to 129.16 points and annual national CPI increased by 11.04 percent from 116.32 points to 129.16 points over corresponding month of the last year.

In September 2019, the CPI at national level was recorded at 126.86 points showing an increase of 11.37 percent over the September 2018 when CPI was recorded at 113.90 points.

The PBS in August 2019 has changed the base year from 2007-08 to 2015-16 but has decided to also compute CPI inflation for a certain period based on the old base year 2007-08. According to PBS, the national CPI is now computed on the basis of urban and rural indices.

The rural CPI of October 2019 witnessed an increase of 2.17 percent over September 2019 from 125.55 points to 128.28 points and on annual basis it witnessed an increase of 11.33 percent over corresponding month of 2018 from 115.23 points to 128.28 points.

The urban CPI in October 2019 witnessed an increase of 1.59 percent over September 2019 from 127.72 points to 129.75 points and increased by 10.86 percent over same month of the 2018 from 117.04 percent to 129.75 points.

Sensitive Price Index (SPI) inflation on YoY basis increased by 15.1 percent in October 2019 against September 2019 from 114.61 points to 131.93 points, while in September SPI increased by 14.7 percent. On MoM basis, the SPI increased by 2.7 percent in October 2019 against September 2019 from 128.51 points to 131.93 points.

The Whole Price Index (WPI) inflation on YoY basis increased by 13.2 percent in October 2019 against September 2019 from 126.55 points to 143.28 points. The WPI inflation on MoM basis increased by 2 percent in October 2019 from 140.49 points to 143.28 points and WPI in September was increased by 0.1 percent and an increase of 4.4 percent in October 2018.

Core inflation measured by non-food non-energy urban CPI (Core NFNE) increased by 7.7 percent on YoY basis in October 2019 as compared to an increase of 8.4 percent in September 2019 and 7.5 percent in October 2018. On MoM basis, it increased by 0.5 percent in October 2019 as compared to increase of 0.4 percent in previous month, and an increase of 1.2 percent in October 2018.

CORE inflation measured by non-food non-energy rural CPI (Core NFNE) increased by 8.6 percent on YoY basis in October 2019 as compared to an increase of 8.8 percent in September and 6.7 percent in October 2018. On MoM basis, it increased by 0.7 percent in October 2019 as compared to an increase of 0.3 percent in September, and an increase of 1 percent in October 2018.

Core inflation measured by 20 percent weighted trimmed means Urban CPI (Core Trimmed), which increased by 8.9 percent on YoY basis in October 2019 as compared to 9.3 percent in the September and by 7.1 percent in October 2018. On MoM basis, it increased by 0.5 percent in October 2019 as compared to an increase of 0.6 percent in September and an increase of 1.1 percent in October 2018.

Core inflation, measured by 20 weighted trimmed mean Rural CPI (Core Trimmed) increased by 9.4 percent on YoY basis in October 2019 as compared to 9.6 percent in September and by 6.7 percent in October 2018. On MoM basis, it increased by 0.7 percent in October 2019 as compared to an increase of 0.6 percent in September and an increase of 0.9 percent in October 2018.

Following commodities’ prices witnessed an increase on month on month basis: tomatoes, 34.97 percent; eggs, 19.74 percent; fresh vegetables, 17.69 percent; potatoes, 10.08 percent; onions, 4.98 percent; beans, 2.53 percent; fish, 2 percent; dry fruits, 1.86 percent; milk powder, 1.79 percent; besan, 1.28 percent; wheat, 1.22 percent; meat, 1.17 percent; pulse Masoor, 1.04 percent; and gur, 1.0 percent.

While on MoM basis, prices of following items witnessed a reduction: Chicken, 18.17 percent; fresh fruits, 1.39 percent; and sugar, 1.37 percent.

On MoM basis prices, prices of following non-food items increased: electricity charges, 18.4 percent; liquefied hydrocarbons, 16.65 percent; water supply, 7.34 percent; furniture and furnishing, 1.65 percent; transport services, 1.42 percent; drugs and medicines, 1.42 percent; medical tests, 1.41 percent; construction wage rates, 1.05 percent; and stationery 1.02 percent.

On YoY basis prices of following food items increased: onions, 131.08 percent; pulse Moong, 45.47 percent; potatoes, 45 percent; fresh vegetables, 39.44 percent; sugar, 34.64 percent; pulse Mash, 31.03 percent; gur, 27.46 percent; cigarettes, 24.55 percent; cooking oil, 18.4 percent; vegetable ghee, 17.76 percent; tea, 17.38 percent; pulse Masoor, 14.47 percent; meat, 13.54 percent; fish, 13.21 percent; milk powder, 12.21 percent; wheat flour, 11.49 percent; pulse gram, 10.82 percent; and beans, 10.72 percent.

On YoY basis only chicken price witnessed a reduction of 2.02 percent.

Prices of following non-food items increased on YoY basis: Gas charges, 54.84 percent; motor fuel, 20.7 percent; motor vehicles, 18.61 percent; motor vehicle accessories, 17.97 percent; construction input items, 17.4 percent; drugs and medicines, 16.59 percent; MBBS doctor’s clinic fee, 15.26 percent; cotton cloth, 14 percent; cotton cloth, 13.87 percent; transport services, 12.21 percent; transport services, 11.48 percent; construction wage rates, 10.48 percent; electricity charges, 10.44 percent; and stationery by 10.32 percent.

Price of only liquefied hydrocarbons witnessed a decline of 5.58 percent on YoY basis.

Prices of the following commodities on account of WPI on MOM basis increased: eggs, 23.68 percent; vegetables, 16.46 percent; electrical energy, 13.96 percent; woolen carpets, 9.23 percent; synthetic carpets, 9.21 percent; hides, skins & fur skins (raw), 9.06 percent; bed foam, 7.35 percent; bed sheets, 5.53 percent; edible roots / potatoes, 5.04 percent; fish live fresh or chilled, 4.7 percent; pipe fittings, 4.32 percent; quilts, 3.35 percent; furnace oil, 3.34 percent; mineral water, 3.15 percent; pulses, 3.1 percent; towels, 2.87 percent; silk & reyon fabrics, 2.86 percent; vegetables & fruit juice, 2.78 percent; raw milk from bovine animals, 2.43 percent; wheat flour, 2.22 percent; hosiery products, 1.88 percent; meat of animals, 1.62 percent; glass sheets, 1.43 percent; chuff cutter, 1.39 percent; medicines, 1.28 percent; wheat, 1.28 percent; dried fruits & nuts, 1.14 percent; and fertilizers, 1.12 percent.

While prices of following items on accounts of WPI witnessed a reduction on MoM basis: poultry, 19.54 percent; fresh fruits, 6.31 percent; maize, 5.33 percent; steel bar & sheets, 2.43 percent; sorghum/Jowar, 2.24 percent; blended yarn, 1.88 percent; and chemicals, 1.22 percent.

Prices of the following commodities on account of WPI on YoY basis registered an increase: stimulant & spice crops, 72.24 percent; vegetables, 70.23 percent; edible roots/potatoes, 65.54 percent; sorghum/Jowar, 63.46 percent; sugar refined, 35.56 percent; natural gas liquefied, 28.35 percent; sugar crops, 27.27 percent; cotton seeds, 25.86 percent; motor spirit, 22.68 percent; motor vehicles, 22.65 percent; diesel oil, 20.37 percent; kerosene oil, 19.24 percent; milk & cream in solid form, 19.08 percent; fertilizers, 18.62 percent; steel bar & sheets, 17.95 percent; vegetable ghee, 17.7 percent; medicines, 16.57 percent; readymade garments, 15.5 percent; pulses, 14.9 percent; rice, 14.33 percent; printing paper, 14.02 percent; fish live fresh or chilled, 13.82 percent; synthetic carpets, 13.62 percent; silk & reyon fabrics, 13.55 percent; sugar confectionary, 13.25 percent; wheat flour, 12.73 percent; vegetable oils refined, 12.52 percent; steel products, 12.2 percent; coffee & tea, 11.88 percent; glass sheets, 11.78 percent; maize, 11.71 percent; oil cakes, 11.48 percent; woolen carpets, 11.4 percent; dried fruits & nuts, 11.31 percent; Mobil oil, 11.04 percent; meat of animals, 10.85 percent; cotton yarn, 10.42 percent; other glass articles, 10.23 percent; raw tobacco, 10.23 percent; ceramics & sanitary fixture, 10.15 percent; and motorcycles, 10.04 percent.

Prices of following a few items on account of WPI witnessed a reduction on YoY basis: hides, skins & fur skins (raw), 20.74 percent; millet/ bajra, 8.53 percent; and furnace oil, 6.97 percent.