-- The growth of the industrial output in Slovakia slowed down to 4 percent year-on-year in May. As the Statistics Office informed on Tuesday. Behind the growth was 8.9 percent increase in natural gas and water production and distribution. The growth in industrial manufacturing reached 3.6 percent in May, while an increase of 3 percent was reported in mining and extraction of mineral raw materials.
In May, the most significant growth was in production of rubber and plastics that rose 14.2 percent. The production of transportation means grew by 10 percent, chemicals and chemical products and chemical fibers by 8.1 percent, production of metal and metal products by 8.1 percent, production of textiles and clothing and machinery and equipment not classified elsewhere by 5.9 percent, each, production of pulp and paper, as well as publishing and press rose by 5 percent, wood processing and production of wooden products rose by 0.2 percent.
On the other hand, there was a decline in leather processing and production of leather goods that fell by 23 percent. The production of electrical and optical devices decreased by 6.7 percent, production of other nonmetal mineral products by 4.9 percent production of food, drinks, tobacco products by 3.4 percent and production of coke and refined crude oil products by 1.1 percent.
From the viewpoint of final consumption, industrial output growth was related to growth of capital goods by 7.1 percent, production related to the energy sector by 5.8 percent, production of goods for short-term consumption by 4.2 percent, production for intermediate consumption by 1.5 percent and a decrease of production of goods for long-term consumption by 1.5 percent.
Five months into this year, production in industry increased by 7.1 percent over the same period of 2007 with industrial manufacturing rising 7.6 percent, production and distribution of electricity, natural gas and water 3.4 percent, and mining and extraction of mineral raw materials 3.1 percent.