RAMALLAH, February 1, 2012 (WAFA) - The overall performance of industrial enterprises in the West Bank improved during the fourth quarter of 2011, said a Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) report Wednesday. 

According to a survey of the perceptions of owners and managers of active industrial enterprises regarding the economic situation, 17.4% of the surveyed in the West Bank said that the overall performance of their enterprises had improved during the fourth quarter of 2011 compared with the third quarter of the same year.

It said that 17.1% of owners and managers believe that the financial situation improved in the West Bank.

The survey results showed weak borrowing by active industrial enterprises from banks operating in the West Bank during the fourth quarter 2011; where 98.3% of owners of industrial enterprises stated that they refrained from borrowing from banks, while 0.8% of them had applied for a bank loan on one occasion and 0.9% had borrowed on more than one occasion.

According to 56.8% of the owners and managers, their main item of production faced local competition, while 10.4% of owners cited foreign competition.

In addition, 32.8% stated that their main product faced both local and foreign competition.

M.H./M.S.