KARACHI – Contrary to the government’s claims of a slowdown in inflation, the latest weekly report reveals that only 10 essential items became cheaper, while prices of 14 items increased over the past week.
According to the Federal Bureau of Statistics, tomatoes rose by 4.54%, potatoes by 2.94%, and eggs by 2.19%. Prices of onions, jaggery, bananas, black gram (mash dal), chickpeas (chana dal), and cigarettes also went up.
On the other hand, chicken prices dropped by 8.51%, sugar by 0.25%, and powdered milk by 0.20%. Other items that saw a price decrease included ghee, wheat flour, rice, garlic, mung dal, electricity, and LPG.
The inflation trend, based on the Sensitive Price Index (SPI), showed a slight decline for different income groups.
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For households earning up to Rs 17,732 per month, inflation slowed by 0.97% to 0.22%.
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For those earning between Rs 17,733 and Rs 22,888, the rate dropped by 0.95% to 1.04%.
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For the Rs 22,889 to Rs 29,517 bracket, inflation fell by 0.69% to 0.26%.
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Those with a monthly income of Rs 29,518 to Rs 44,175 experienced a 0.63% reduction in the rate, now at 1.13%.
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For households earning more than Rs 44,176 per month, inflation eased by 0.74% to reach 1.50%.
