Short-term inflation rises to 11.32pc in last week of October, driven by perishable food prices

Pakistan’s year-on-year short-term inflation rate reached 11.32 per cent in the week to October 29, with perishable food costs contributing heavily, Dawn reported, citing Pakistan Bureau of Statistics figures. The Sensitive Price Index slipped 0.35 per cent from the prior week, even as 15 of its 51 tracked items became more expensive, 12 became cheaper and 24 were unchanged. The weekly gauge draws on prices recorded in 50 markets across 17 cities.

Tomatoes had the steepest weekly increase, rising 34.91 per cent, while electricity charges for the first quarter fell 3.92 per cent. On a yearly comparison, LPG was up 106.86 per cent and diesel 45.13 per cent, whereas potatoes were down 38.67 per cent. The report notes that inflation has stayed in double digits for several weeks amid higher petroleum and diesel prices; the previous week’s annual rate was 11.85 per cent.