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SUNDAY, AUGUST 23, 1981
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADE FIRMS EXPERIENCED A LOW SECOND QUARTER AND LOOK FORWARD TO IMPROVEMENT IN THE THIRD QUARTER.
FIRMS IN THE OTHER SERVICES SECTOR RECORDED BETTER BUSINESS IN THE SECOND QUARTER AND ANTICIPATE FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS IN THE THIRD QUARTER.
FIRMS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND GAS AND ELECTRICITY SECTORS REPORTED GENERAL IMPROVEMENTS IN BUSINESS IN THE SECOND QUARTER. THEY EXPECT A CONTINUED IMPROVEMENT IN BUSINESS IN THE THIRD QUARTER.
THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT STATED THAT THE SURVEY DATA, OBTAINED WITH A MINIMUM TIME LAG, WAS BASICALLY INTENDED TO PROVIDE ONE SOURCE OF REFERENCE FOR MAKING A QUICK ASSESSMENT OF THE CURRENT ECONOMIC SITUATION IN HONG KONG.
APART FROM A LIMITED NUMBER OF QUESTIONS REQUIRING ANSWERS IN QUANTITATIVE TERMS, FIRMS WERE ASKED TO COMPARE THE QUARTER JUST PAST WITH THE PRÉVIOUS QUARTER AND SIMILARLY FOR THE FORTHCOMING ONE, AND ONLY HAD TO INDICATE WHETHER, IN THEIR OPINION, A CERTAIN VARIABLE WAS 'UP', 'SAME' OR 'DOWN'.
BALANCE OF OPINIONS OF RESPONDENTS WERE TABULATED AND ANALYSED, AND WHERE APPROPRIATE THEY WERE INTERPRETED ALONG WITH RESULTS OBTAINED IN EARLIER SURVEYS.
THE DEPARTMENT CAUTIONED THAT IN A SURVEY OF THIS NATURE CONSIDERABLE RESERVATIONS MUST BE MADE IN THE INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS AS IT WAS DIFFICULT TO ESTABLISH PRECISELY THE EXTENT TO WHICH RESPONDENTS' PERCEPTION OF THE PAST AND THE FUTURE ACCORDS WITH THE UNDERLYING TRENDS.
COPIES OF THE REPORT, CONTAINING AN ANALYSIS AND STATISTICAL TABLES ON VARIOUS ECONOMIC VARIABLES, HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO FIRMS TAKING PART IN THE SURVEY AND TO OTHER BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS.
COPIES MAY BE PURCHASED FROM GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS SALES CENTRE, GENERAL POST OFFICE BUILDING, AT $3 EACH.
WATER CUT ***
FRESH WATER SUPPLY TO A NUMBER OF PREMISES IN SHA TIN WILL BE TURNED OFF FOR NINE HOURS FROM 9 PM ON TUESDAY (AUGUST 25) TO 6 AM THE FOLLOWING DAY FOR WATER MAINS WORKS.
PREMISES TO BE AFFECTED ARE LOK LO HA TSUEN, HO TUNG LAU, SHA TIN RACE COURSE, SEA VIEW VILLA, RED BRIDGE BUNGALOWS, THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG, AND THE KCR UNIVERSITY STATION.
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