Russia's industrial output rises in 1999

Russia's industrial output in several key branches show evident growth in 1999, said the Russian Economy Ministry in a report on the country's industrial performance last year.
According to preliminary statistics, Russia's light-industry production surged 20 % against 1998 with cotton output up 13. 1 %, footwear up 21.8 % and Knitwear up 79.2 %.
The country's food production increased by approximately 10 % from the earlier year and agricultural output remained at the 1998 level.
A total of 33.4 mm square meters of housing were built, up 8.5 % compared with 1998.
Oil production went up 0.3 %, coal production up 6.9 % and gas output stood at the previous year's level.
Ferrous-metallurgy output was 14 % higher than in 1998, and the production of rolled-metal and steel tubes rose 15.1 and 13.6 % respectively.
Non-ferrous-metal production was 10 % more than in 1998, with 4.5 % growth in primary aluminium, and 18 % in refined copper and 4 % in nickel.
The chemical and petrochemicals industry witnessed a 21 % growth against 1998, while machine building and metal processing output went up 15 %, construction materials production, pulp and paper production each up 10 %.
The data indicated the state's transport volume rose 3.4 % to 1.61 mm tons by all kinds of traffic in 1999.
Passenger turnover registered 365 bn passengers per km, much higher than the figure in 1998.
All these figures are preliminary ones and will be amended after the State Statistics Committee issues its final data, said the ministry.