The recent increase in the prices of essential commodities in Pakistan has further increased inflationary pressure. According to the latest weekly report of the Bureau of Statistics, the inflation rate in the country increased by 0.46 percent during the week, while inflation on an annual basis has reached 15.28 percent.
The report clarified that the increase in the prices of several daily-use items pushed the sensitive price index upwards. During the last week, 25 essential items became more expensive, while the prices of 11 items decreased and the prices of 15 items remained stable.
According to the data, the price of tomatoes increased by 16.65 percent, which was the most significant increase during the week. In addition, potatoes became expensive by 6.82 percent and chicken by 5.60 percent. Market experts say that the prices of some food items are continuously increasing due to seasonal factors, reduced supply and increased demand.
According to the report, the prices of milk, curd, mutton and eggs also increased, which put further pressure on the household budget. Similarly, a slight increase was recorded in the prices of washing soap and LPG, which affected daily expenses.
However, not all items became expensive. According to the statistics office, the prices of onion, garlic and banana decreased. Onion became cheaper by about 3 percent while garlic became cheaper by 2.51 percent. Similarly, the prices of diesel and petrol also came down due to the decrease in fuel prices, which is expected to provide partial relief in transport and travel expenses.
According to economic analysts, the continuous increase in the prices of food-related items is one of the main drivers of inflation. They say that if agricultural production and supply chain do not improve, it may be difficult to achieve price stability.
The latest weekly report indicates that although prices have come down in some sectors, overall inflation still remains a major economic problem, the effects of which are directly affecting the common citizen and the middle class.
