950827

Industrial output

in Punjab declined

by 9.3 pc in April

TANVIR ZAHID

LAHORE: Overall industrial production in the Punjab was 9.3 percent lower in April this year as compared to the previous month.

According to monthly survey of industrial production and employment in the Punjab for the month of April 1995 just released by the quarters concerned in Lahore covering 1879 industries, ten items registered decrease in production of verying decrease and against this, 22 items showed upward trend during the period under report.

Important items showing decline in production were vegetable ghee/cooking oil, sugar, cotton cloth, jute textile, cotton bales, super phosphate (fertilizer), petroleum products, re-rolled steel, motor cycles and electric motors.

Vegetable ghee/cooking oil production was down by 4.5 percent due to 15 days annual shutdown in A&B Industrial Gases Multan.

Sugar production was down by 34.1 percent because April was a tail month of the crushing season.

Cotton cloth production was less by 5.9 percent because of decline in the production in Yousuf Weaving Mills Bhai Pheru due to increase in width of cloth and less orders for export as reported by Ghazi Fabrics International Bhai Pheru.

Jute textile figures showed 3.2 percent decrease because of shortage of imported raw material as reported by Sargodha Jute Mills Sheikhupura.

Cotton bales output was down by as much as 62 percent because April was tail month of current cotton ginning and pressing season.

Super phosphate showed 4.8 percent decrease as the plant remained closed for 42 and 6 hours respectively due to mechanical maintenance and Wapda power failure as reported by Lyallypur Chemicals and Fertilizers Limited Faisalabad and Jaranwala.

Petroleum product output was less by 25.2 percent due to less availability of crude oil in Attock Oil Refinery Ltd Rawalpindi.

Re-rolled steep production was 6.9 percent less due to closure of two steel mills on account of shortage of raw material.

Motor cycles production was down by 18.5 percent attributed to imposition of General Sales Tax.

Electric motors output was less by as much as 42.9 percent on account of closure of one unit of Hilal Engineering Company Lahore due to financial problems.

Production was reported to be higher in case of cigarettes by 37.9 percent, cotton yarn 6.9 percent, M.M./blended cloth 13.1 percent, wollen yarn 26.9 percent, blankets 98.4 percent, acetate yarn 12.8 percent, upper leather 10 percent, sole leather 53.8 percent, footwear 54.9 percent, paper and paper board 5.5 percent, pharmaceuticals 11.8 percent, caustic soda 9.1 percent, soda ash 21.0 percent, urea 13.7 percent, ammonium nitrate 4.7 percent, nitro phosphate 13.5 percent, paints and varnishes 19.4 percent, cement 25 percent, heavy machinery and equipments 71.5 percent, diesel engines 13.6 percent, electric fans 45.4 percent, electric transformers 12.4 percent and tractors 27.1 percent.

Total number of factories covered under the survey during the reporting period was 1879. Any factory producing more then one item was counted only once in this total.

In table of production each factory was counted against every item it produced; 29 vegetable ghee mills were also included in 66 soap manufacturing units, 3 fertilizer and one caustic soda plants also produced sulphuric acid; one leading shoe manufacturer also produced tyres and tubes whereas one shoe factory had a tanning unit also.