Seven sub-sectors of Belarusian industry show positive production growth rates

July 16, Minsk /Lilia Krapivina - BELTA/. Seven sub-sectors of Belarusian industry have positive production growth rates in the first half of the year. This was announced today to journalists by the Deputy Chairman of the National Statistical Committee of Belarus, Viktor Mikhno, commenting on the results of the republic's industrial performance in the first half of the current year, as reported by a BELTA correspondent. Out of 22 sub-sectors of industry, 7 did not experience a decline in production volumes and ensured growth rates of over 100%. These are oil refining, chemical, cement, reinforced concrete and concrete products and structures, sugar, meat, butter and cheese, and dairy industries. Viktor Mikhno recalled that Belarusian industry demonstrated steady growth in production from 1996 to 2009. In the second half of 2008, a slowdown in industrial production growth rates was observed, and since January of the current year, a decline has been noted. In the first half of the current year, compared to the same period last year, six out of ten major industrial sectors experienced a decline in volumes: electric power engineering, ferrous metallurgy, machine building and metalworking, forestry, woodworking and pulp and paper industry, construction materials industry, and light industry. Among the regions with positive industrial production growth rates, only the Vitebsk and Gomel regions finished the first half of the year. "The results of oil refining are the basis for this positive trend," explained the Deputy Chairman. Since the beginning of the current year, Belstat has been calculating and publishing a new statistical analytical indicator – the ratio of growth rates of revenue from sales of goods, products, works, and services to the growth rates of industrial production volumes at current prices. For January-May, compared to the same period last year, this indicator was 91.6%. It has been increasing every month. In January, it was 85.9%, in January-February – 88.5%, in the first quarter – 90.8%, in January-April – 90.9%. "An ideal ratio would be 100%. This would mean the complete sale of manufactured products. Then we would have a reduction in inventories. But currently, the actual value of this indicator is below 100%. Although the dynamics are still positive, slowly but surely this ratio is increasing and approaching 100%," noted Viktor Mikhno. According to him, "the reasons for today's difficulties in industry are outside Belarus." Exports of traditional Belarusian goods are declining, which affects the reduction in industrial production and the increase in inventories of finished goods. Viktor Mikhno also provided statistics for January-May on the value of food exports. Deliveries to the foreign market decreased by 5.6% to 94.4%. There was a decrease in exports for many commodity items, including dairy products. Deliveries of condensed and dry milk were reduced by $31.2 million. The export of white sugar decreased by $10.6 million compared to the same period last year. The share of food products in the total export volume is 11.3%. -0-