The industrial production index rose 16.78 percent annually to a record high of 136.16 last month, thanks to robust demand for technology products and vehicles, while retail sales rose to surpass pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said yesterday. The index, an indicator measuring real output in manufacturing, electricity, mining and water supply, rose for the 14th consecutive month, ministry data showed. The main momentum came from the sub-index of electronic components production — which has a 43 percent weighting in the index — expanding 26.68 percent year-on-year to 169.79, marking the 16th month it expanded by a double-digit