AVN NEWS DESK
ISLAMABAD: The latest data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reveals a staggering 43.79pc surge in the Sensitive Price Index (SPI) inflation on a year-on-year basis.
This notable increase is primarily attributed to the sharp rise in gas prices by 1108.59pc, alongside significant hikes in the prices of wheat flour (62.36pc) and sugar (58.52pc).
The SPI for the week ending January 25th, 2024, saw a marginal decrease of 0.14pc, attributed to declines in the prices of tomatoes (14.14pc), potatoes (5.06pc), onions (1.64pc), Lipton tea (1.19pc), bananas (0.81pc), pulse gram (0.33pc), garlic (0.26pc), and mustard oil (0.17pc).
Among the 51 items monitored, prices of 15 (29.41pc) items increased, while of 13 (25.49pc) witnessed a decrease, with 23 (45.10pc) items maintaining stability.
According to PBS data, the SPI for the reviewed week stood at 318.55 points, compared to 319.66 points in the preceding week.
Moreover, the SPI for various consumption groups, categorized by income, depicted declines: by 0.33pc for those with income up to Rs17,732; 0.29pc for Rs17,732-Rs22,888; 0.21pc for Rs22,889-Rs29,517; 0.17pc for Rs29,518-Rs44,175; and 0.08pc for those having income above Rs44,175.
Items witnessing price increases during the review period include chicken (3.31pc), cooked daal (1.32pc), gur (0.98pc), prepared tea (0.92pc), pulse moong (0.80pc), energy saver (0.54pc), maash (0.43pc), eggs (0.43pc), LPG (0.28pc), beef with bone (0.25pc), 20kg wheat flour bags (0.16pc), mutton (0.13pc), fresh milk (0.11pc), basmati broken rice (0.10pc), and 40kg firewood (0.03pc).
