TAHIR AMIN

ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the week ended November 18, 2021 recorded significant increase of 1.07 percent due to increase in the prices of chicken (8.26 percent), cooking oil (4.72 percent), bananas (4.18 percent), washing soap (3.94 percent), vegetable ghee (3.15 percent), rice Irri (1.76 percent), moong (1.62 percent), eggs (1.52 percent), and firewood (1.24 percent), says the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

The year-on-year trend depicts increase of 18.34 percent mainly due to the increase in the prices of LPG (76.12 percent), electricity for Q1 (75.32 percent), vegetable ghee 1kg (56.94 percent), cooking oil 5-litre (56.28 percent), mustard oil (55.42 percent), vegetable ghee 2.5kg (52.94 percent), petrol (44.35 percent), diesel (40.21 percent), washing soap (37.70 percent), and chilies powdered (34.18 percent), while major decrease observed in the prices of onions (38.61 percent), moong (28.80 percent), potatoes (26.55 percent), tomatoes (6.34 percent), and sugar (3.51 percent).

According to the latest data, the SPI went up from 167.50 percent during the week ended November 11, 2021 to 169.29 percent during the week under review.

The SPI for the consumption groups up to Rs17,733, Rs17,733 to Rs22,888, Rs22,889 to Rs29,517, Rs29,518 to Rs44,175 and for above Rs44,175 increased by 0.39 percent, 0.53 percent, 0.91 percent, 1.06 percent, and 1.44 percent, respectively.

During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 27 (52.94 percent) items increased, 10 (19.61 percent) items decreased, and 14 (27.45 percent) items remained stable, said the PBS in weekly SPI data.

The commodities, which recorded increase in their average prices include chicken (8.26 percent), cooking oil Dalda or other similar brand (sn), 5 litre tin each (4.72 percent), bananas (4.18 percent), Sufi washing soap 250gm cake each (3.94 percent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib 2.5kg tin each (3.15 percent), vegetable ghee Dalda/Habib or other superior quality 1kg pouch each (2.38 percent), rice irri-6/9 (1.76 percent), moong (1.62 percent), eggs hen (1.52 percent), firewood whole (1.24 percent), tea prepared ordinary per cup (1.21 percent), maash (0.99 percent), salt powdered (0.90 percent), match box (0.88 percent), long cloth 57” Gul Ahmed/Al Karam1 mtr (0.84 percent), shirting (0.83 percent), cooked beef (0.69 percent), Georgette (0.64 percent), bread plain (0.63 percent), chilies powder National (0.56 percent), mustard oil (0.47 percent), rice basmati broken (0.38 percent), powdered milk (0.24 percent), milk fresh (0.20 percent), curd (0.19 percent), beef with bone (0.19 percent), and mutton (0.15 percent).

The commodities, which recorded decrease in their prices during the period under review include tomatoes (5.77 percent), sugar refined (4.25 percent), onions (2.14 percent), gur (1.48 percent), potatoes (1.36 percent), masoor (0.43 percent), garlic (0.13 percent), wheat flour bag 20kg (0.08 percent), LPG (0.08 percent), and pulse gram (0.02 percent).

According to the PBS data, sugar was available at Rs95.55 per kg.

However, contrary to the PBS data, the market prices, noted by Business Recorder, the commodity was available at Rs5,200 per 50kg bag in wholesale market i.e. Rs104 per kg, which in retail was available at Rs110-120 per kg.

Further, according to the PBS data, wheat flour was available at Rs59.95 per kg or Rs1,199 per 20kg bag.

However, the commodity was available at Rs73.33 per kg in the market.

The commodities, whose prices remained unchanged during the period included tea Lipton Yellow Label, cooked daal, cigarettes Capstan 20’s packet each, lawn printed Gul Ahmed/Al Karam1 mtr, gents sandal Bata pair, gents sponge chappal Bata pair, ladies sandal Bata pair, electricity charges for Q1 per unit, gas charges, energy saver, petrol super per litre, hi-speed diesel per litre, telephone call charges, and toilet soap Lifebuoy.