Karachi: Pakistan’s Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), which tracks short-term inflation, showed a 0.35% decrease in prices for the week ending March 20, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
The main reason for this decline was the sharp drop in vegetable prices. Onions saw a massive drop of 67.67% compared to the same time last year. Other vegetables also saw price reductions: tomatoes dropped by 7.08%, onions by 6.07%, garlic by 5.59%, and potatoes by 2.5%. Additionally, eggs saw a price reduction of 4.64%.
There were also slight decreases in the prices of some daily necessities, including sugar (-0.87%) and Lipton tea (-1.3%). Even firewood, an important source of fuel in many households, became cheaper by 0.6%.
While some consumer items saw price hikes, the overall decline in inflation is seen as a positive sign for consumers.