The national industrial production during Jan-April 2014 saw a 5.4 percent year-on-year increase, a positive sign of production recovery at enterprises, noted the General Statistics Office (GSO).

The office claimed that the index of industrial production (IIP) in April surged 6 percent against the corresponding period last year, according to the Thoi bao Kinh te Viet Nam (Vietnam Economic Times).

Of the total reported rise, the growth rate of industrial production was 0.4 percent for the mining industry, 7.5 percent for the processing and manufacturing industry, 10.6 percent for electric production and distribution, and 3.3 percent for water supply and wastewater treatment.

During the period, the industrial production rose 7.4 percent for the processing and manufacturing industry, 9.6 percent for electric production and distribution, and 5.4 percent for water supply and wastewater treatment.

Also, in the initial four months, many products registered a growth rate in production, such as television up 32.9 percent, footwear up 31.1 percent, rolled steel up 22.4 percent, auto up 16.7 percent, and processed seafood products up 13.7 percent.

However, some other products registered a decline in production, such as raw steel down 11 percent, motorbike down 7.4 percent, coal down 5.8 percent, and textile down 3.1 percent.

The office also reported that the consumption index of the local industry for the first quarter rose 5.5 percent in comparison to the same period last year.

The production sectors having high consumption were electric equipment production with a growth rate at 21.8 percent, leather and related products (up 19.8 percent), products made from prefabricated metal (up 13 percent), and vehicles (up 1.28 percent).

The inventory index of the processing and manufacturing industry at April 1 posted a month-on-month increase of 13.9 percent and a year-on-year surge of 13.1 percent.

Other sectors reporting higher inventory than the same period last year were electronics, computers, tobacco products, medicines, pharmaceutical products and materials, leather, and paper.-VNA