Weekly inflation in Pakistan rises to 31.83% due to surging prices of food, non-food items: Report

Islamabad [Pakistan], January 21 : Weekly inflation, measured by Sensitive Price Index (SPI), has seen an rise of 31.83 per cent for the combined income group on a year-on-year basis, ending January 19, due to a massive increase in prices of food and non-food items, the Dawn reported citing data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Friday.
No change has been reported in the Sensitive Price Index (SPI) on a week-on-week basis, the report said, adding that it was mainly due to an increase in food items, particularly vegetables like onions over the past few weeks.
The SPI monitors the rate of 51 essential items on the basis of a survey of 50 markets in 17 cities across Pakistan.
In the week under review, the prices of 23 out of 51 items increased while the prices of 11 items decreased, the Dawn reported, adding that the prices of 17 items remained stable.
On a year-on-year basis, the price of 17 items which saw a rise included onions (482.07 pc), chicken (101.93 per cent), Lipton tea (65.41 per cent), eggs (64.23 per cent), diesel (57.34 per cent), Basmati broken rice (56.09 per cent), moong pulse (55.63 per cent), Irri rice-6/9 (50.28 per cent), powdered salt (49.50 per cent), bananas (47.73 per cent) and wheat flour (46.38 per cent), according to Dawn.
A massive surge on a week-on-week increase was seen in the prices of Basmati broken rice (3.54 per cent), onions (3.50 per cent), chicken (3.21 per cent), bananas (3.04 per cent), Irri rice-6/9 (2.43 per cent), garlic (2.16 per cent), bread (1.45 per cent), tea prepared (1.22 per cent), cooked pulses (1.12 per cent), LPG (2.34 per cent) and washing soap (1.54 per cent), the Dawn reported further.
A decrease was seen in the prices of wheat flour (5.98 per cent), tomatoes (2.87 per cent), potatoes (2.73 per cent), sugar (0.94 per cent), vegetable ghee 1kg (0.50pc), vegetable ghee 2.5 kilograms (0.41 per cent), cooking oil 5-litre (0.07 per cent), pulse gram (0.05 per cent), pulse masoor (0.38 per cent), eggs (0.09 per cent) and mustard oil (0.01 per cent), as per the news report.
On January 13, activists of Shia Ulema Council, Pakistan Peoples Party-Shaheed Bhutto, Sindh Taraqqi-pasand Party and Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan held separate demonstrations against skyrocketing inflation and shortage of flour. The demonstrations were held outside a local press club in Sindh's Larkana, the Dawn reported.
Supporters of the Shia Ulema Council and Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party took out processions and held demonstrations near the press club. The leaders of these outfits raised concerns regarding the ongoing shortage of flour in the district, the Dawn reported, adding that the leaders stressed that a few outlets were not adequate for the supply of low-priced flour to address the huge demand.
The workers of the Shia Ulema Council and Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party called on the government to act against hoarders who were out to fleece people by selling flour at exorbitant rates, the Dawn reported, adding that they said the need of the hour was to ensure the availability of flour at a controlled price of Rs 65 at all shops.