TAHIR AMIN

ISLAMABAD: The Large Scale Manufacturing Industries (LSMI) output increased by 7.26 percent in the first two months (July-August) of current fiscal year 2021-22 compared to the same period of last fiscal year i.e. 2021, as almost all of the major manufacturing sectors posted growth, data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) showed on Friday.

According to provisional Quantum Index numbers of Large Scale Manufacturing Industries (QIM), the LSMI output increased by 12.74 percent for August 2021 compared to August 2020 and 2.09 percent, if compared to July 2021.

The LSM data released by the PBS after collecting it from the Provincial Bureau of Statistics (BOS), the Oil Companies Advisory Council (OCAC), and the Ministry of Industries showed that the OCAC recorded month-on-month growth of 3.18 percent in August 2021 against previous month and 8.83 percent growth was recorded year-on-year in August 2021 against August 2020.

The data showed that the Ministry of Industries-related sectors witnessed growth of 4.06 percent in August 2021 against July 2021 on MoM basis, while year-on-year basis, it registered a growth of 12.61 percent in August 2021 as compared with same month of 2020.

The PBS data said that LSM-related data to the BOS month-on-month witnessed a decline of 2.13 percent in August 2021 against the previous month and on YoY basis, BOS witnessed a growth of 13.82 percent in August 2021 against August 2020.

The production in July-August 2021-22 as compared to July-August 2020-21 has increased in textile, food, beverages and tobacco, pharmaceuticals, cook and petroleum products, chemicals, non-metallic mineral products, automobiles, iron and steel products, paper and board, leather products, engineering products and wood products while it decreased in fertilizers, electronics and rubber products.

Textile, the top contributing sector to the overall big industry output, increased by 1.43 percent, food, beverages and tobacco 6.74 percent, cook and petroleum products 2.35 percent, pharmaceuticals 18.67 percent, chemicals 6.36 percent, automobiles 55.33 percent, iron and steel products 14.34 percent, leather products 20.21 percent, engineering products 6 percent, non-metallic mineral products 3.72 percent, paper and board 10.37 percent and wood products 15.81 percent during July-August 2021-22 compared to the same period of 2020-21.

The sectors showing decline during July-August 2021-22 compared to July-August 2020-21 included fertilizers 0.87 percent, 30.81 percent, and electronics 1.23 percent.

The petroleum products on year-on-year witnessed growth of 2.35 percent as its output increased from 2.304 billion litres in July-August 2020-21 to 2.358 billion litres in July-August 2021-22.

High-speed diesel witnessed 5.29 percent negative growth in July-August 2021-22, and remained 933.508 million litres compared to 945.333 million litres during the same period of last year.

Furnace oil witnessed 7.84 percent negative growth in July-August 2021-22 and remained 407.134 million litres compared to 441.767 million litres during the same period of last year.

Motor spirit witnessed growth of 7.48 percent in July-August 2021-22, and remained 586.473 million litres compared to 545.665 million litres during the same period of last year.

The LPG witnessed 7.26 percent growth in July-August 2021-22, and remained 148.892 million litres compared to 138.818 million litres during the same period of last year.

Jet fuel oil witnessed 14.40 percent growth in July-August 2021-22, and remained 95.929 million litres compared to 83.856 million litres during the same period of last year.

Kerosene oil witnessed 1.06 percent decline in July-August 2021-22, and remained 24.376 million litres compared to 24.636 million litres during the same period of last year.

Sugar production remained zero in July-August 2021-22 and was also zero in July-August 2020-21, as shown by the PBS data.

Cement witnessed four percent growth in July-August 2021-22, and remained 7.454milliontonnes compared to 7.167milliontonnes during the same period of last year.

Tractors witnessed 38.67 percent growth in July-August 2021-22, and remained 9,263 numbers compared to 6,680 during the same period of last year.

Motorcycles witnessed 1.6 percent growth in July-August 2021-22, and remained 373,334 compared to 367,382 during the same period of last year.