SPI rises by 16 per cent

The Sensitive Price Indicator for the week ended on August 12 showed an increase of 16.25 per cent.

ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the week ended on August 12 showed an increase of 16.25 per cent as compared to the corresponding week of last year.

The SPI for the lowest income group up to Rs3,000 increased by 1.07 per cent over the previous week. The SPI for the week under review in the above mentioned group was recorded at 271.77 points as against 268.88 points in the previous week, according to the Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS).

The weekly SPI covers 17 urban centres and 53 essential items for all income groups and combined. The SPI for the combined group registered an increase of 0.99 per cent, rising from 259.74 in the previous week to 262.32 in the week under review.

As compared to the previous week, the SPI for the income groups ranging from Rs3,001-5,000 and above Rs12,000 rose by 1.06 per cent and 0.93 per cent respectively.

Average prices of only three items decreased while prices of 27 items increased.

Rates of the remaining 23 items stood unchanged.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 17^th, 2010.