Growth of manufacturing output surprises economists

The increase of 14.3% on an annual basis took economists by surprise. "That's the best data we've had since 1999," said Piotr Bielski, an economist at BZ WBK. After seasonal adjustments, the figure could be as high as 16.9%, experts say, adding that it could push economic growth this year up to the region of 5%. The figures reveal a shift from raw materials industries to technology, auto industry and other high value added sectors. Exports remain the driving engine of growth with construction, reliant on domestic demand, still lagging behind with a 9.5% slump on last year. "That is awful news since January last year was dismal too," Bielski said. Producer prices were up 4.2% on last year, though economists say they could still grow a little before driving consumer inflation up. (Parkiet, p. 7) A.N.