The National Statistics Office (NSO) said that petroleum products contributed a significant increment of 53.2 percent, while double-digit increases were also noted in chemical products, furniture and fixtures, miscellaneous manufactures, electrical machinery, food manufacturing and textiles.

On a monthly basis, VaPI in October 2005 went up by 6.7 percent with the following major sectors attributing to the growth: petroleum products, machinery excluding electrical, non-metallic mineral products and electrical machinery.

NSO noted that the volume of production index (VoPI) on a year-on-year basis stepped up by 4.6 percent in October 2005 from a drop of 4.5 percent recorded during the previous month.

The sectors that reported substantial increases in production were furniture and fixtures, petroleum products, chemical products, miscellaneous manufactures and food manufacturing.

VoPI on a monthly comparison likewise went up by 8.0 percent in October 2005. Significant increases were noted in electrical machinery, non-metallic mineral products, machinery excluding electrical and petroleum products.

The value of net sales registered a year-on-year increase of 8.7 percent in October 2005. This was brought about by the two-digit sales increase in furniture and fixtures, petroleum products, leather products, chemical products, food manufacturing and basic metals.

On a month-on-month basis, the value of net sales also reflected an increment at 3.1 percent in October 2005. The increase was mainly due to the sales improvement of beverages, posting a 12.0 percent growth.

The net sales volume on a year-on-year comparison recovered at a slower rate of 0.5 percent from its 3.3 percent decline in September 2005.

The sectors that exhibited significant increases were furniture and fixtures, footwear and wearing apparel, paper and paper products, leather products, chemical products and food manufacturing.

The net sales volume on a monthly basis continued to grow as it posted an increase of 3.6 percent in October 2005. Significant increments were observed in electrical machinery and beverages.

NSO said the producer’s price index (PPI) for manufacturing maintained its double-digit increase, registering 13.7 percent in October 2005.

Double-digit price increases were observed in petroleum products, machinery excluding electrical, publishing and printing, basic metals and electrical machinery.

On a monthly basis, the PPI also reflected an increment of 3.1 percent in October 2005. Among 20 the major sectors, petroleum products registered the highest increase of 3.9 percent.

Other sectors that contributed to the increase were electrical machinery, machinery excluding electrical, transport equipment, textiles, basic metals, non-metallic mineral products and rubber products.

The average capacity utilization in October 2005 for total manufacturing was estimated at 80.4 percent.

The sectors that registered more than 80 percent capacity utilization rates were machinery excluding electrical, petroleum products, electrical machinery, miscellaneous manufactures, paper and paper products, leather products, rubber products, basic metals, food manufacturing and chemical products.

The proportion of establishments that operated at full capacity of 90-100 percent was 12.4 percent in October 2005.

More than half or 53.9 percent of the establishments operated at 70 to 89 percent capacity and 33.7 ercent of the establishments operated below 70 percent capacity.