Weekly SPI inflation up 0.21pc

Weekly Sensitive Price Index inflation rose 0.21 percent in the week ended October 1, according to Business Recorder, which cited figures the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics released on Friday. Chicken led the increases with a 7.25 percent jump, while garlic, gram pulse and liquefied petroleum gas also became dearer. Eggs, rice, onions, washing soap and wheat flour edged up by smaller margins.

Diesel registered the steepest fall at 3.43 percent, followed by bananas, sugar, potatoes and petrol. Of the 51 items tracked, 20 items making up 39.21 percent of the basket rose in price, 10 items (19.61 percent) fell, and 21 items (41.18 percent) stayed flat.

On a year-on-year basis the index climbed 11.53 percent, with onions up 114.20 percent, LPG 66.59 percent and electricity for Q1 58.59 percent. Tomatoes, potatoes and sugar were among the items that declined most over the same period. Households earning up to Rs17,732 a month saw their index move from 354.06 to 354.74 points, while the combined index rose from 369.69 to 370.40 points.