According to monthly inflation data released Tuesday by the PBS at a news conference by Chief Statistician and Chief Census Commissioner Asif Bajwa, there was an increase of 1.40 per cent in April 2017 over the previous month and 4.09 per cent in July-April 2017 over the same period of last fiscal year. The main contributors to the increase in inflation were perishable food items, health and education cost.
An increase of 4.78 per cent in year-on-year inflation for April 2017 was due to 3.90 per cent increase in food & non-alcoholic beverages, 2.31 per cent in non-perishable food items, 13.42 per cent in perishable food items, 11.24 per cent in alcoholic beverages & tobacco, 3.40 per cent in clothing & footwear, 5.10 per cent in housing, water, electricity, gas & other fuels, and 2.21 per cent increase was observed in furnishing & household equipment maintenance.
The cost of health increased by 13.42 per cent in April 2017 over the same month a year ago, transport, 4.13 per cent, communication, 1.61 per cent, recreation & culture, 0.17 per cent, education, 12.52 per cent, and restaurant & hoteling, 5.34 per cent. Major items whose prices witnessed an increase from April previous year including tinda, 55.20 per cent, potatoes, 55.05 per cent, Dettol soap, 45.72 per cent, lemon, 40.09 per cent, tomatoes, 34.31 per cent, gram whole yellow, 32.23 per cent, apple, 22.82 per cent, gas cylinder, 20.25 per cent, petrol, 15.25 per cent, diesel, 14.53 per cent, rice basmati broken, 13.61 per cent, eggs, 13.87 per cent, and cigarettes, 13.05 per cent.
However, the price of pulse mash decreased in April 2017 over the same month a year before by 22.67 per cent, pulse moong, 18.61 per cent, onion, 15.01 per cent, pulse masoor, 11.29 per cent, chicken, 6.01 per cent, powdered chillies, 4.60 per cent, washing powder, 4.53 per cent, sugar, 4.53 per cent, wheat flour, 1.60 per cent, and milk powder loose, 1.36 per cent.
The prices of peas increased by 53.28 per cent in April 2017 over March 2017, carrot, 46.82 per cent, lemon, 39.38 per cent, kinnow, 26.33 per cent, cauliflower, 12.01 per cent, private school fee, 10.73 per cent, apple, 10.28 per cent, banana, 7.64 per cent, chicken, 3.34 per cent, potatoes, 2.81 per cent, tea Lipton Yellow Label, 1.85 per cent, and house rent went up by 1.52 per cent.
The CPI inflation in July-April 2016-17 increased by 4.09 percent over July-April 2015-16 after an increase of food & non-alcoholic beverages by 3.16 per cent, non-perishable food items, 2.64 per cent, perishable food items, 6.28 per cent, alcoholic beverages & tobacco, 14.62 per cent, clothing & footwear, 4.17 per cent, housing, water, electricity, gas fuels, 4.85 per cent, furnishing & household equipment maintenance, 3.11 per cent, health, 9.87 per cent, transport, -1.69 per cent, communication, 0.81 per cent, recreation & culture, 1.26 per cent, education, 10.53 per cent, restaurant & hotels, 5.05 per cent, and miscellaneous by 5.21 per cent.
According to PBS, during the month of April 2017 over the April 2016, the non-food & non-energy core inflation has been observed as 5.5 percent while it was 4.4 percent during April 2016 over April 2015. Talking about ongoing census, Asif Bajwa said the grievances of the public are being addressed and the second phase would be completed on May 7 and counting of homeless people would begin on May 8.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2017