ISLAMABAD: Inflation fell, albeit slightly, despite increase in the prices of 26 essential commodities during the week ending on Thursday, according to the data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Friday.

The PBS weekly report said that inflation decreased by 0.6% on a weekly basis; however, it stood at 44.61% on an annual basis. It added that in the week, 26 essential commodities became expensive, nine became cheaper, while the prices of 16 remained stable. The 26 essential items which saw increase in prices include potatoes, sugar, eggs, red lentils, salt, beef, mutton, jaggery, chicken, washing soup, lentil [black grams], rice, match boxes, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), fresh milk and yoghurt.

The 9 items, which saw decline in prices include onion, tomato, dal, chickpea, rice, yellow lentils, flour, mustard oil and firewood. The prices of the remaining 16 commodities in the essential items basket remained stable. On the weekly basis, the price of potato increased by 8.59%, eggs by 2.65%, LPG by 4.47%, chicken by 2.19%, washing soup by 1.83%, bananas by 1.64%, lentils by 1.45% and jaggery by 1.25%. The price of tomato went down by 22.43%, onion by 15.85%, yellow lentil 0.35%, dried brown chickpeas by 0.82%, flour by 2.75%, mustard oil by 0.09%, and garlic by 1.29%, according to the PBS data. The PBS said that inflation affected the most those who earned more than Rs44,175, for whom the inflation rate was 46.31%. Similarly, the annual inflation rate was 40.89% for those earning up to Rs17,732 per month and 43.57% for earning up to Rs22,888.

Published in The Daily National Courier, April, 15 2023

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