ISLAMABAD : The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), for the week ended on February 04, for the lowest income group up to Rs.3,000, has registered decrease of 0.11 percent over the previous week.

The SPI for the week under review in the above mentioned group was recorded at 253.52 as against 253.80 registered in the previous week, according to provisional figures of Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS). The weekly SPI has been computed with base 2000-2001=100 covering 17 urban centers and 53 essential items for all income groups and combined. SPI for the combined group registered positive growth of 0.36 per cent as it went up from 241.14 in the previous week to 242.02 in the week under review.

As compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for combined group in the week under review witnessed increase of 18.18 percent. As compared to the last week, the SPI for the income groups ranging from Rs.3001-5000 and Rs.5001-12000 decreased by 0.12 percent and 0.02 percent respectively whereas SPI for the income group above Rs.12000 increased by 00.78 percent. During the week under review average prices of 11 items registered decrease, while that of 20 items increase with the remaining 22 items' prices unchanged.

The items which recorded decrease in their average prices during the week under review included egg hen (farm), tomatoes, potatoes, onions, LPG( 11 kg cylender), garlic, sugar, vegetable ghee (loose), shirting, wheat flour (average quality) and red chillies. The items which registered increase in their prices included, petrol, chicken (farm), diesel, kerosene, gur, washing soap, moong pulse (washed), mutton, rice basmati (broken), gram pulse (washed), bananas, coarse latha, mustard oil, mash pulse (washed), beef, masoor pulse (washed), curd, wheat (average quality), milk (fresh) and firewood.

The items with no change in their average prices during the week under review included, rice (irri-6), bread plain (mid size), milk (powdered), vegetable ghee (tin), cooking oil (tin), salt (powdered), tea (packet), tea (prepared), cooked beef, cooked dal, cigarettes, lawn, voil (printed), sandal (gents), sandal (ladies), chappal, electricity bulb (60wats), match box, bath soap, gas charges (up to 3.3719 MMBTU), electricity charges (1-100 unit) and telephone local call.