The national industrial production index (IPI) expanded by 7.9 percent in January-September, the General Statistics Office (GSO) reported. 

National industrial production index (IPI) expanded by 7.9 percent in January-September

The figure was higher than the IPI growth of 7.1 percent recorded in the same period last year and 7.2 percent in the first eight months of this year. 

In September alone, the growth was estimated at 13.2 percent as compared with the corresponding time last year. 

Between January and September, the processing and manufacturing sector posted a surge of 12.8 percent, the highest rise in many years; power production and distribution, up 8.9 percent; and water supply and waste and waste water treatment, up 7.8 percent. The mining industry, however, shrunk by 8.1 percent.

Other sectors with hikes in production include electronics, computers and optical products (25.1 percent); metal production (21.4 percent); rubber and plastics products (11.6 percent). 

Among key industrial products that posted high IPI increases in nine months were television sets (31.6 percent), raw steel and iron (28 percent), rolled steel (23.2 percent), natural fibre fabric (16.8 percent) and urea fertiliser (15.9 percent).

According to the GSO, the northern province of Bac Ninh saw the highest year-on-year IPI increase of 25.1 percent, followed by the northern port city of Hai Phong (20.1 percent), the northern mountainous province of Thai Nguyen (18.1 percent), northern Hai Duong province (11.2 percent), northern Vinh Phuc province (10.6) percent and southern Binh Duong province (9.5 percent). 

As of September 1, 2017, the inventory index of the processing and manufacturing sector rose by 9.9 percent against the same period last year.

The inventory of metal, clothes and vehicles, along with food production and processing experienced increases, while that of textile industry, and tobacco and pharmaceutical production decreased during the period. 

The number of labourers employed at industrial enterprises as of September 1 was 4.6 percent higher than one year ago, with employees working for non-State enterprises up 1.6 percent and investment direct investment (FDI) firms, up 7.5 percent. 

VNA