June 24, 2007	Sunday	Jamadi-us-Sani 08, 1428

ISLAMABAD, June 23: The country’s import bill of petroleum products rose by 11.15 per cent to $6.637 billion during the July-May period of outgoing fiscal year as against $5.971 billion the same period last year.

The share of oil group in the total import bill also soared to 24 per cent from 23 per cent earlier. This indicates it continues to be the single biggest contributor to import bill despite decline in international oil prices.

Statistics released by the Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS) here on Saturday showed that the import of petroleum based products increased by 33.76 per cent to $3.430 billion as against $2.564 billion the same period last year.

However, the imports of petroleum crude declined by 5.87 per cent to $3.207 billion during the first 11 months of the outgoing fiscal year as against $3.407 billion in corresponding period of last year.

The second biggest component of the import bill in value terms was the machinery group. Its imports increased by 12.02 per cent to $6.045 billion during the period under review as against $5.39 billion the same period last year.

The break-up showed that the import bill of power generating machinery witnessed an increase of 40.88 per cent, office machines 8.53 per cent, construction machinery 14.21 per cent and agriculture machinery 39.19 per cent. However, the import of textile machinery declined by more than 35.92 per cent during July-May 2006-07 over the corresponding period of last year.

In the telecom sector, the import of mobile phones increased by 27.58 per cent and other apparatus 27.58 per cent during the period under review over the same period last year.

The textile group imports jumped 19.64 per cent to $1.383 billion during the July-May as against $1.156 billion over the same period last year.

Of these imports of raw cotton up by 64.08 per cent, synthetic and artificial yarn 2.46 per cent, worn clothing 16.69 per cent and other textile items 4.36 per cent.

The import of agriculture and other chemical groups rose by 3.70 per cent to $3.914 billion. These include plastic materials up by 13.63 per cent, medicinal products 29.47 per cent and others 10.22 per cent. However, import of fertiliser manufactured declined by 41.57 per cent and 13.83 per cent in insecticides.