TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1981
AS REGARDS IMPORTS, THE SPOKESMAN DREW ATTENTION TO THE
AS RE-EXPORTS HAVE CONTINUED SLOWING DOWN IN THEIR GROWTH RATE. CONTINUED TO GROW RAPIDLY, THE SLOWING DOWN WAS EVEN MORE MARKED
THE SPOKESMAN IN RESPECT OF IMPORTS RETAINED IN HONG KONG. POINTED OUT FURTHER THAT ACCORDING TO DETAILED BREAKDOWNS OF IMPORT FIGURES UP TO OCTOBER, THE SLOWING DOWN IN THE GROWTH RATE OF RETAINED IMPORTS WAS CONCENTRATED MAINLY ON CONSUMER GOODS. THE GROWTH RATE OF RETAINED IMPORTS OF RAW MATERIALS AND SEMI-MANUFACTURES HAS IN FACT BEEN ACCELERATING.
COMPARING THE TRADE FLOWS IN THE FIRST ELEVEN MONTHS OF 1981 WITH THOSE IN THE FIRST ELEVEN MONTHS OF 1980, THE GROWTH RATE OF IMPORTS, AT 24.9 PER CENT, WAS ONLY MARGINALLY HIGHER THAN THE GROWTH RATE OF TOTAL EXPORTS, AT 24,3 PER CENT. AS A CONSEQUENCE, THE VISIBLE TRADE +GAP+ ONLY ́WIDENED SLIGHTLY FROM 11.5 PER CENT IN THE FIRST ELEVEN MONTHS OF 1980 TO 11.9 PER CENT IN THE FIRST ELEVEN MONTHS OF 1981.
NEW YEAR'S EVE TRAFFIC ARRANGEMENTS IN CENTRAL
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NEW TRAFFIC ARRANGEMENTS WILL BE INTRODUCED IN CENTRAL ON NEW YEAR'S EVE AS HEAVY CONGESTION IS EXPECTED IN THE AREA,
FROM 8 PM ON THURSDAY (DECEMBER 31) TO 6 AN THE FOLLOWING MORNING, A NUMBER OF ROADS WILL BE TEMPORARILY CLOSED AND SEVERA TRAFFIC DIVERSIONS WILL BE INCLUDED,
ROAD CLOSURES INCLUDE:
* BANK STREET
*
ICE HOUSE STREET BETWEEN QUEEN'S ROAD CENTRAL AND CONNAUGHT ROAD CENTRAL
* PEDDER STREET
* POTTINGER STREET (EXCEPT FOR FRANCHISED BUSES)
* DES VOEUX ROAD CENTRAL BETWEEN QUEEN VICTORIA STREET
AND JACKSON ROAD (EXCEPT FOR FRANCHISED BUSES AND TRAMS)
* DOUGLAS STREET
* CHATER ROAD
/TRAFFIC DIVERSIONS