ISLAMABAD, Dec 2: The import bill of petroleum products recorded a high growth of 62.07 per cent to $1.983 billion during the July-October period of the current fiscal year against $1.224 billion over the same period last year.
Official figures released here on Friday by the Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS) indicated that the import bill surged by 95.31 per cent during the month of October 2005 over the same month last year.
Analyst attributed the massive rise in the import bill of petroleum products particularly in the month under review to huge consumption of oil in the relief operation both aerial and land route in the earthquake areas.
They said that besides the high price of the commodity in the international market, the consumption of oil would increase further in the relief operation in the months head which would increase the import bill of oil.
Moreover, the import of textile machinery has declined by 2.97 per cent during the July-Oct period this year. This decrease was 35.70 per cent during the month of October 2005 over the same month last year.
The overall import of machinery registered a growth of 65.20 per cent during the period under review to $2.178 billion this year as against $1.394 billion over the same period last year.
Of these import of electrical machinery and apparatus increased by 47.15 per cent, road motor vehicles increased by 90.04 per cent, power generating machinery increased by 6.21 per cent, agriculture machinery and implements by 217.01 per cent and aircraft, ship and boats by 20.77 per cent during the first four months this year over the same months last year.
However, import of construction and mining machine by 13.24 per cent during the months under review over the last year.
The import bill of consumer goods increased by 34.62 per cent to $567.756 million during the first four months this year as against $421.752 million over the same period last year.
Of these import of sugar increased by 17108.82 per cent, dry fruits 66.80 per cent, milk products by 82.80 per cent, and pulses by 40.10 per cent during the July-Oct period this year over the same months last year.
The import of metal group has increased by 57.22 per cent to $507.304 million during the months under review as compared to $322.668 million in the same months last year. However, imports of agriculture and other chemicals has registered a marginal growth of 9.47pc to $1.317 billion, as against $1.203bn during the same months last year.
