September industrial output fell 7.9 percent year-on-year, a decline almost 16 times worse than the volume reported by the Indec national statistics bureau, said the Argentine Industrial Union (UIA) in a statement unveiled today.

In a press release, the chamber grouping the country's largest industries also said that September's industrial output was 3.2 percent higher than the one registered on August. Indec has fallen under heavy criticism from the opposition saying it is deliberately adultering data to improve the image of the government.

The figures far outstrip those released by the Indec national statistics bureau which put September's decline at 0.5 percent year-on-year.

During the first eight months of 2008, the industry output dropped 8.8 percent year-on-year.

The UIA said some sectors showed advances, partly offsetting the disappointing results posted elsewhere. The chemical and petrochemical industries on the one side, and rubber and plastics on the other, shot up by 3.1 percent and 2.4 percent, respectively.

Also the textile industry showed its first positive variation since June 2008, and so did the paper and pulp production which grew for the first time in 6 months up to 2.3 percent.

By contrast, the car industry (13.1 percent) and the metalworking (17 percent) showed the most significant products which dropped according to the report.