A survey among 390 manufacturing enterprises indicates that manufacturing sales rose during the second quarter when compared to the same quarter last year; investment declined, while overall employment remained at par, the National Statistics Office reported yesterday.

During the second quarter of 2007, total sales by the sampled manufacturing enterprises increased by Lm6.5 million, or 2.6 per cent, to Lm260.2 million from Lm253.7 million for the same period the previous year. Export-oriented enterprises generated Lm212.2 million or 81.6 per cent of the total sales.

The radio, TV and communication equipment manufacturing sub-sector registered an increase in sales of Lm3.3 million or 2.8 per cent. Higher sales were also registered by the publishing and printing, the chemicals and chemical products as well as the furniture and manufacturing sub-sectors.

During the survey period, the food and beverages manufacturing sub-sector registered a drop of Lm1.3 million or 3.9 per cent in its sales.

The broad trends in manufacturing sales observed during the second quarter of 2007 were also registered for the first half of the year, when manufacturing sales rose by 4.1 per cent to Lm506.4 million.

In the second quarter this year, the overall employment in the sampled enterprises was 18,356, remaining on the same level as that registered for the same period the previous year.

Increases in employment were mainly recorded in the electrical machinery and apparatus, the radio, TV and communication equipment and the chemicals and chemical products sectors.

Lower employment levels were recorded mainly in the wearing apparel and clothes, the food and beverages and the medical, precision and optical instruments sub-sectors.

In the period under review, an amount of Lm31.1 million was paid out in gross wages and salaries by the sampled enterprises.

During the April-June quarter 2007, overall investment in the manufacturing industry amounted to Lm10.5 million, a drop of Lm5.7 million when compared to the Lm16.2 million for the second quarter 2006.

On the other hand, investment during the first six months of 2007 added up to Lm33.2 million, basically on the same level with that for the first six months of 2006.