ISLAMABAD  – The country’s Large Scale Manufacturing (LSM) has registered positive growth of 2.13 per cent during the first six months of the current fiscal year over the corresponding period of the last financial year.
On year basis, the LSM grew by 6.5 per cent during the month of Dec 2013 when compared to the same month of last year, according to the data of PBS. The Quantum Index Numbers (QIN) of LSM stood at 107.96 points during July-December (2012-13) against 105.71 points during July-December (2011-12). During the period under review, industries monitored by Oil Companies.  Advisor Committee (OCAS) registered increase of 0.63 per cent while the indices of Ministry of Industries grew by 0.21 per cent and that of Provincial Bureaus of Statistics by 1.29 per cent.
The industrial items that witnessed growth during the first six months over the same period of last year included food beverages and tobacco (2.69%), iron and steel products (19.3%), coke and petroleum products (10.45%), paper and board (34.84%), rubber products (28.44%), pharmaceuticals (6.5%), non metallic mineral products (2.89%) and Textile (0.24%). The items that witnessed decrease in production during the period included fertilizer (10.01%), electronics (12.7%), wood products (21.02%), leather products (4.81%), engineering products (12.47%) and automobiles (9.08%).
Meanwhile, the industrial growth during December 2012 witnessed negative growth of 1.12 per cent when compared to the growth of November 2012. The items that witnessed growth in December 2012 over the same month of last year included iron and steel products (33.02%), coke and petroleum products (13.5%), paper and board (40.61%), rubber products (20.38%), pharmaceuticals (4.14%), non metalic mineral products (0.69%), fertilizers (17.46%), leather products (0.16%), food beverages & tobacco (10.22%), chemicals (2.05%) and textile (1.49%).
The items that witnessed decrease in production during December included electronics (9.92%), wood products (28.58%), engineering products (12.47%) and automobiles (5.2%).It may be recalled that the Provisional Quantum Index Numbers of Large Scale Manufacturing Industries (QIM) has been computed in FBS on the basis of latest production data of 112 items received from sources, including OCAC, Ministry of Industries and Production and BOS.
OCAC supplied the data of 11 items, Ministry of Industries and Production supplied the data of 36 items and Provincial Bureaus of Statistics provided data for 65 items.