Manufacturing sector continues to surge
Q1 sales up 2.1%

In the first quarter this year, total sales by the large manufacturing enterprises increased by Lm5.3 million, or 2.1 per cent, to Lm260.5 million from Lm255.2 million a year earlier.

The Food and Beverages manufacturing sub-sector enhanced its sales performance by Lm1.3 million, or 6.7 per cent, to Lm21.2 million from Lm19.9 million in the previous year. At the same time, sales by the Tobacco sub-sector went up by Lm1.4 million to Lm7.2 million.

In the period under review, sales by the Printing and Publishing sub-sector went up by Lm2.8 million to Lm8.7 million from Lm5.9 million last year. Sales by the Machinery and Equipment and the Electrical Machinery sub-sectors were up by Lm1.0 million and Lm1.1 million respectively. In addition to this, sales by the Furniture and the Other Manufactures were up by Lm2.2 million to Lm13.2 million from Lm11.0 million last year.

In the course of the first quarter this year, sales by the Clothes sub-sector were down by Lm1.6 million to Lm12.9 million from Lm14.4 million last year. At the same time, sales by the Medical and Precision Equipment sub-sector dropped by Lm2.4 million to Lm2.6 million from Lm5 million in the first quarter 2000.

Manufacturing Employment
Employment in the firms sampled increased by 169 when compared to the first quarter the year before to 21,597. Most employment generation was created within the Radio, TV and Communications sub-sector whose employment went up by 150 to 3,133 from 2,983 a year earlier.

In the period under review, an amount of Lm28.6 million was paid out in wages and salaries by the sample enterprises - an increase of Lm2.6 million over the same period last year.

Manufacturing Investment
In the quarter under review, investment in manufacturing declined by Lm7.2 million to Lm11.1 million from Lm18.3 million last year. Most of the recorded drop resulted in the Radio, TV and Communications sub-sector, where investment dropped by Lm5.6 million to Lm7.2 million from last year’s high of Lm12.7 million.