The general Industrial Price Index (IPI) of the industrial production has increased by 2.8 per cent during the first six months of 2012, compared with the same period of 2011, the monthly report issued Sunday by the Department of Statistics showed. The increase was attributed to a growth in the manufacturing industries’ prices by 2.5%, electricity production by 14.1% and a decrease in the quarrying industries prices by 15.1%. The new figures showed that the index rose to149.8 points, compared with 147.2 points in the same period in 2011 driven by a rise in electricity and manufacturing sector’s production.