Govt holds back data on factories

Limited statistics show 35% contraction in May

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THE government has held back the release of complete data on the country’s industrial production for the second consecutive month in May, as economic activity had come to a near standstill due to the lockdown triggered by the coronavirus pandemic.

Quick estimates released by the Central Statistical Organisation (CSO) on Friday show that the index of industrial production (IIP) for the month of May 2020 stands at 88.4 as compared to 135.4 in the same month last year, which works out to a contraction of 34.7 percent.

However, the index value at 88.4 in May is higher than the corresponding figure of 53.6 in April, indicating a graded pickup in industrial activity.