Weekly Inflation Hits 12.31% as Tomato Prices Surge 54% in a Week
File photo: Tomatoes on sale at a market stall
ISLAMABAD: Short-term inflation in Pakistan climbed to 12.31 per cent year-on-year in the week ending November 5, driven by a sharp rise in tomato prices and the soaring cost of cooking gas, official data released on Friday showed.
Tomatoes lead the weekly rise
Tomatoes recorded the steepest weekly increase, jumping 54.18 per cent in seven days. LPG rose 3.72 per cent, potatoes 2.07 per cent, eggs 1.17 per cent and garlic 1.06 per cent. Firewood, salt, plain bread, fresh milk and curd also became dearer. The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), which tracks 51 essential items across 50 markets in 17 cities, edged up 0.29 per cent over the week to 374.61 points, from 373.51 a week earlier.
21 items up, 10 down
Of the 51 items monitored, prices of 21 rose, 10 fell and 20 stayed unchanged. Petrol became 4.20 per cent cheaper and diesel 2.97 per cent, while gram pulse, bananas, onions, powdered milk, chicken, sugar, wheat flour and moong pulse also eased.
LPG up 115% in a year
Over the year, LPG has risen 114.88 per cent — the sharpest increase of any item in the basket. Tomatoes are up 78.89 per cent year-on-year, electricity charges for the first slab 52.38 per cent, diesel 39.27 per cent and petrol 36.34 per cent. Wheat flour has risen 33.95 per cent and chicken 31.81 per cent. On the other side, potatoes are 37.24 per cent cheaper than a year ago, eggs 27.59 per cent and sugar 25.03 per cent.
Dawn noted that oil prices have been falling for three consecutive days, though the relief will only show up in the next weekly review. With the government unwilling to cut the petroleum levy, rising energy costs keep feeding into food prices — and household budgets keep feeling the squeeze.
