Inflation: Modest respite for lowest groups

ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the lowest income groups registered a decrease of 0.08 per cent over the previous week. The SPI for this group was recorded at 169.54 points against the previous week’s 169.67 points, according to provisional figures from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. The SPI for combined income groups, however, registered a 0.21 per cent increase as it went up from 178.25 points to 178.62 points. Compared to the same period last year, the combined SPI indicates price inflation to the tune of 8.55 per cent. The index uses 2007-2008 as the base year and covers 17 urban centers and 53 essential consumer goods.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 4^th, 2012.