Furthermore, robust growth in local sales of cement, production of mined aggregates and new motor vehicle sales in the first five months of 2013 suggested that the non-energy sector had fully recovered from the negative spillovers associated with last year’s protracted strike in the cement industry. It is also indicative of more broad-based growth in the non-energy sector.
On the other hand, like last year, continuing maintenance and security upgrades by energy companies are holding back the energy sector from delivering an improved performance this year. Although there was a marginal increase of ½ per cent in energy sector activity in the first quarter of 2013, following flat output in the previous quarter, growth was still lacklustre.