Manufacturing sales up 4.8 per cent

Total sales by the large manufacturing enterprises in the fourth quarter of last year amounted to Lm248 million, an increase of Lm11.8 million, or 4.8 per cent, over the same period in the previous year, the National Statistics Office said.

The radio, television and communications manufacturing sub-sector enhanced its sales performance by Lm14.2 million or 13.3 per cent to Lm120.5 million.

Sales by the printing and publishing sub-sector went up by Lm3 million or 33 per cent to Lm12.1 million, while the food and beverage and the medical and prevision equipment sub-sectors saw an increase of Lm1.3 million and Lm0.9 million respectively, the NSO said.

During the fourth quarter, sales by the clothing sub-sector were down by Lm2.6 million to Lm13.6 million, and drops in sales were also registered by the tobacco, leather and electrical machinery sub-sectors.

The NSO said that at the end of December 2002, employment in the sampled enterprises was down by a net of 1,117, to 20,874, when compared to the end of December 2001.

Most of the drops were recorded in the clothes (550 employees), plastic and rubber products (258 employees) and leather (171 employees) sub-sectors.

The radio, TV and communications and the printing and publishing sub-sectors registered an increase in employment of 179 and 64 employees respectively.

In the period under review, about Lm29.6 million was paid out in wages and salaries by the sampled enterprises, an increase of Lm1.4 million over the same period of the previous year.

The NSO said investment in manufacturing increased by a net of Lm0.4 million to Lm7.9 million in the fourth quarter last year compared to same period of 2001.

Most of the recorded increase resulted in the furniture and manufacturing and the chemicals sub-sectors, where investment went up by Lm1.1 million and Lm1 million respectively.