By Irfan Ahmed ISLAMABAD, March 29 (INP-Wealth): The sensitive price indicator (SPI) based inflation for the week ending 24th March witnessed an increase of 15.67% for the combined consumption group compared to the corresponding week of the last year (March 25, 21), according to INP-WealthPk. According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), on a Year-on-Year (YoY) basis, the commodities registering an increase in prices included food items garlic (71.50%), mustard oil (57.99%), vegetable ghee 2.5 kg (55.63%), beef (24.55%), vegetable ghee 1 kg (55.39%), cooking oil 5 liter (53.53%), pulse Masoor (36.13%), tomatoes (52.11%), and non-food items washing soap (39.17%), petrol (33.42%), diesel (23.75%), and LPG (71.57%). On the other hand, a major decrease was observed in the prices of chilies powder (37.44%), pulse Moong (29.02%), eggs (22.13%), sugar (12.27%), potatoes (5.46%), and electricity (0.16%). According to the PBS, the combined index was at 170.92 points on March 24, 2022 compared to 169.06 points on March 17, 2022, while the index was recorded at 147.76 points on March 25, 2021. During the week, out of 51 items, the prices of 25 (49.03%) items increased, eight (15.69%) items decreased and 18 (35.29%) items remained stable. Chicken was one of the key commodities that increased the weekly inflation, with prices increasing 8.47% on a Week-on-Week (WoW) basis. Meanwhile, compared to the previous week, the SPI for the combined consumption group in the week under review witnessed an increase of 1.10%. Food commodities that saw an increase in prices included chicken (8.47%), vegetable ghee 2.5kg (4.59%), bananas (4.04%), cooking oil (2.55%), potatoes (1.56%), vegetable ghee 1kg (1.12%), curd (1.02%), wheat flour bag (0.79%),  cooked daal at average hotel (0.76%), rice Basmati broken (0.74%), milk fresh (unboiled) (0.67%), onions (0.63%), cooked beef at average hotel (0.50%), mutton (0.50%), mustard oi (0.43%), pulse Mash (0.33%), pulse Moong (0.30%), beef with bone (0.16%), powdered milk Nido 390gm (0.01%), and non-food items, lawn (1.17%), shirting (1.03%), energy saver Philips 14 Watt (0.57%), toilet soap Lifebuoy 115gm (0.20%), and Georgette (0.07%). On the other hand, a decrease was observed in the prices of garlic (4.94%), tomatoes (4.17%), eggs (4.13%), LPG (1.59%), gur (1.03%), sugar (0.92%), pulse Gram (0.36%) and pulse Masoor (0.22%). Alternatively, the prices of 18 items remained stable including rice IRRI-6/9, plain bread, salt powdered, chilies powder, tea Lipton Yellow Label 190 gm, tea prepared ordinary, gents sandal Bata, gents’ sponge chappal Bata, ladies sandal Bata, electricity, gas charges (up to 3.3719MMBTU), firewood whole, Sufi washing soap, match box, petrol super, hi-speed diesel, toilet soap Lifebuoy, and telephone call charges. The SPI for the lowest consumption group up to Rs17,732 observed an increase of 1.24% and went up to 179.37 points this week from 177.17 points last week. On a yearly basis, analysis of SPI change across different income segments showed that SPI increased across all quintiles ranging between 13.22% and 16.58%. Yearly inflation for the group with monthly income from Rs29,518 to Rs44,175 (Q4) increased by 15.47%, while the highest income group with monthly income above Rs44,175 recorded an increase of 16.58%. Similarly, weekly inflation for the group with monthly income from Rs22,889 to 29,517 (Q3) increased by 1.25%. In addition, there is a mild price difference between the prices of Utility Stores Corporation and the open market (March 24, 2022). The USC prices are comparatively lesser than the open market. The USC is giving a special subsidy to consumers on pluses, flour, sugar, rice, and ghee under the government’s relief package. The USC has reduced prices of a variety of items, including flour 20kg by Rs222.08, Tota Basmati rice by Rs18.77 per kg, chana by Rs32.85 per kg, sugar by Rs1.87 per kg, ghee Manpasand by Rs87.15 per kg, ghee Handi by Rs110.76 per kg, Super Basmati rice by Rs8.58 per kg, and rice Sella by Rs26.21 per kg. [caption id="attachment_65370" align="aligncenter" width="696"] Source: Pakistan Bureau of Statistics[/caption]