ISLAMABAD, Dec 24: The import bill of petroleum and machinery groups led the increase in trade deficit by 145.86 per cent to $4.554 billion during the July-November period of the current fiscal year as against $1.852 billion during the same period of last year.

Official figures released by the Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS) here on Saturday revealed that the massive increase, both in quantity and value, in import of these products, also pushed up the trade deficit to 107.66 per cent during the month of November 2005, over the same month of the last year.

Product-wise details indicated that the import bill of petroleum products increased by 67.69 per cent to $2.566 billion during the July-Nov period this year as against $1.530 billion over the same period of the last year. Of these, import of petroleum products recorded a growth of 54.74 per cent and petroleum crude 77.52 per cent during the period under review over the same period of last year.

The import of machinery recorded an increase of 61.95 per cent to $2.824 billion during the July-Nov period of this year as against $1.743 billion over the same period of last year. Of these import of vehicles registered a robust growth of 90.56 per cent in value during the period under review over the last year.

The import of aircraft, ships and boats increased by 41.87 per cent, agriculture implements 191.85 per cent, electrical machinery and apparatus 73.43 per cent, power generating machinery 39.27 per cent, office machines 17.15 per cent during the first four months of this year over the same months of last year. However, import of construction and mining machinery declined by 4.23 per cent during the months under review over the last year.

Moreover, the import of textile machinery has declined by 6.22 per cent during the July-Nov period this year. While this decrease was 9.93 per cent during the month of November 2005, over the same month of last year. This belied the government’s claim that the blanket exemption from duties would result in expansion of the textile sector.

The import bill of consumer goods increased by 38.50 per cent during the July-Nov period this year over the same period last year, import of metal group increased by 80.20 per cent and agriculture and chemicals by 11.02 per cent during this year over the last year.

The total import bill increased by 54.34 per cent to $11.180 billion during the first five months of this year as against $7.243 billion during the same period of last year.