The country’s Large Scale Manufacturing (LSM) has registered positive growth of 2.13 percent during the first six months of the current fiscal year over the corresponding period of the last financial year. On year basis, the LSM grew by 6.5 percent during the month of December 2013 when compared to the same month of last year, according to the data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). The Quantum Index Numbers (QIN) of LSM stood at 107.96 points during July-December (2012-13) against 105.71 points during July-December (2011-12). During the period under review, industries monitored by Oil Companies Advisor Committee (OCAS) registered increase of 0.63 percent while the indices of Ministry of Industries grew by 0.21 percent and that of Provincial Bureaus of Statistics by 1.29 percent. The industrial items that witnessed growth during the first six months over the same period of last year included food beverages and tobacco (2.69%), iron and steel products (19.3%), coke and petroleum products (10.45%), paper and board (34.84%), rubber products (28.44%), pharmaceuticals (6.5%), non metallic mineral products (2.89%) and Textile (0.24%). The items that witnessed decrease in production during the period included fertilizer (10.01%), electronics (12.7%), wood products (21.02%), leather products (4.81%), engineering products (12.47%) and automobiles (9.08%).
