ISLAMABAD: Shortterm inflation, measured by the Sensitive Price Index (SPI), recorded a negative growth of 1.97 per cent year-on-year in the week ending March 13 owing to a decline in the retail price of perishable products in the domestic market.

However, it increased by 0.22pc from the previous week, according to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics on Friday.

The overall short-term inflation rate has also slowed due to the higher base of last year. Moreover, the prices of products, excluding wheat flour, remained sturdy.

Contrary to a declining trend in the international market, the retail prices of sugar and edible oil maintained a bullish trend.

The items whose prices saw a decline week-onweek included onions (16.71pc), potatoes (6.59pc), garlic (5.29pc), pulse gram (1.91pc), eggs (1.55pc), tea Lipton (1.13pc), pulse mash (0.49pc) and tea prepared (0.39pc).

The items whose prices increased the most over the previous week included tomatoes (36.43pc), chicken (6.40pc), bananas (6.05pc), sugar (5.69pc), LPG (1.44pc), georgette & gur (1.32pc) each, bread (1.13pc), beef (0.57pc), pulse moong (0.28pc) and cigarettes (0.27pc).

However, on an annual basis, the items whose prices increased the most included ladies sandal (75.09pc), pulse moong (26.84pc), powdered milk (25.93pc), beef (21.35pc), pulse gram (19.42pc), chicken (18.72pc), sugar (18.55pc), vegetable ghee 1 Kg (16.13pc), vegetable ghee 2.5 Kg (15.34pc), shirting (12.98pc), georgette (11.21pc) and firewood (11.07pc).-Staff Reporter