ISLAMABAD, April 12: The services sector exports were up by 4.42 per cent in the first eight months (July-February) of the current fiscal year over the same month of the last year, Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS) said on Thursday.

The services export proceeds totalled to $2.565 billion in the eight months of the year 2007 as against $2.456 billion over the same months of the last year.On monthly basis, the export of services witness a health growth of 17.26 per cent to $258.013 million in February 2007 as against $220.032 million over the same month of last the year.

The growth in export of services indicate that there is a potential for further liberalisation of services export and seeking extensive market for the export services providers. Moreover, the inclusion of services chapters in the preferential market access would also have a healthy impact on the increase in export of services.

According to the statistics, the imports of services climbed by 4.41 per cent to $5.521 billion during the July-February period of the current fiscal year as against $5.288 billion over the same period of last year.

On monthly basis, the import of services rose by 6.91 per cent to $665.041 million during the month of February 2007 as against $622.076 million over the same month last year.