Reports on growing prices prevailed over reports on price decreases. The most intensive growth was registered in chemical, petro-chemical, food industries, and in power engineering. Predictions and expectations Estimates of changes in output remained practically the same across industries in IV quarter. Estimates of an absolute decrease persisted in construction and were first registered in food industry in December. Estimates of price changes also stabilised at end-year.
Enterprises plan either to increase, or maintain prices.
A decrease is possible only with 1 to 2 per cent of producers, mostly in light, food, timber, and woodworking industries. The most intensive price growth is expected in engineering, chemical and petro-chemical industries, and in ferrous metallurgy. At the level of individual industries there were registered both expectations of growing and declining sales. Pessimistic estimates prevailed in food industry, construction, and ferrous metallurgy. In other industries there prevailed estimates of growing sales.