ISLAMABAD: The large-scale manufacturing (LSM) sector posted a negative growth of 2.02 per cent year-on-year in November after rising for a few successive months, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics reported on Friday.

The negative growth is the outcome of a fall in the production of food and beverages, petroleum products, chemicals, engineering products, wood products, fertilisers and leather products during the month under review.

The trend shows the LSM growth revived to 8.77pc in October 2017 after witnessing a paltry increase in September.

In July-November, LSM posted a growth of 7.19pc year-on-year.

For 2017-18, the LSM target was 6.3pc. It grew 5.6pc in 2016-17.

LSM constitutes 80pc of manufacturing and 10.7pc of overall GDP. Contrary to this, small-scale manufacturing accounts for 1.8pc in GDP and 13.7pc within manufacturing.

Production data of 36 items received from the Ministry of Industries showed negative growth of 0.88pc in November.

The contribution of 65 items reported by the provincial bureaus of statistics posted a negative growth of 0.84pc.

Production data of 11 items received from the Oil Companies Advisory Committee (OCAC) negatively contributed 0.29pc to LSM growth in November.

Industry-specific data shows that wood products recorded the highest negative growth of 49.3pc, followed by engineering products 23.78pc, food, beverages and tobacco products 21.9pc, fertilisers 16.3pc, leather products 11.7pc, chemicals 9.7pc, petroleum products 4.7pc and paper and board 0.19pc.

Production of iron and steel products recorded 26pc growth, electronics 16.8pc, automobiles 10.1pc, rubber products 9.2pc, pharmaceuticals 6.65pc, non-metallic mineral products 4.5pc and textile 0.30pc.

In the automobile sector, the production of tractors went up 9.7pc year-on-year in November, jeeps and cars 17.61pc, light commercial vehicles 42pc and motorcycles 3.6pc. However, the production of buses dropped 73.3pc and that of trucks 3pc during the month under review.

The negative growth in the chemical sector was mainly driven by paints and varnishes-small, which recorded a drop of 2pc, and caustic soda, down 3.3pc.

In the pharmaceutical segment, capsules, injections and tablets recorded a negative growth of 76pc, 122pc and 50pc, respectively. However, the production of liquids/syrups fell 76pc during the month under review.

In non-metallic mineral products, cement recorded a growth of 4.6pc.

In the food, beverages and tobacco segment, the highest negative growth of 81pc was recorded in sugar production.

Other items that recorded a negative growth were cooking oil, down 9.6pc, vegetable ghee 12.9pc and blended tea 28pc.

Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2018