Issuing a communique on releasing IIP for the second quarter 2016 Director Generalof DCS,Dr.A. J. Satharasinghe stated that the weights for compiling the IIP were estimated using the Annual Survey of Industries 2015 conducted by the DCS. The weights were derived based on the value added of the products of manufacturing sector. The manufacturing of food products reported to be the major contributor for the total industrial value added (35.2%) of the country and followed by wearing apparels (19.8%) and non- metallic mineral products (7.8%).

According to the IIP values released for the second quarter 2016, the volume of industrial production shows a decrease in the month of April 2016 by 4.7% compared to the annual average index of 2015. In the months of May it turns to a positive value that is 2.6% and in June it is 6.1% increase compared to the average monthly index in 2015. The overall industrial production for the second quarter of 2016 has increased by 1.1% compared to average production in 2015.

Wearing apparel industry (15.6 %), Tobacco products showed remarkable increases (14.6%) in productions during June 2016 compared to the average monthly production in 2015. The volume of food products has decreased by 2.1 % in April and it has increased by 2.2% and 2.4% in May and June 2016 respectively. Production of Tobacco showed a decrease in April but in May and June increased by 5.8% and 14.6% respectively. The increase corresponding to Food products and beverages for the first quarter was 0.8% and 2.7% respectively. Other non-metallic mineral product industry showed 1.9%, 2.5%, 8.7% increase in production in the months April, May and Junerespectivelyand this industryshowed a quarterly increase of 1.1% compared to average production of this industry in 2015. (For more details visit www.statistics.gov.lk/Industries)