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TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1982
THE VALUE OF AIRBORNE TRADE IN 1981, REPRESENTING 22 PER CENT OF TOTAL MERCHANDISE TRADE, INCREASED BY $10 824 MILLION OR 23 PER CENT OVER 1980. IN TERMS OF TONNAGE, AIRBORNE TRADE CONSTITUTED LESS THAN ONE PER CENT OF TOTAL TRADE. AIRBORNE IMPORTS FROM JAPAN ROSE BY $1 351 MILLION OR 29 PER CENT, AND AIRBORNE EXPORTS TO THE U.S. BY $2 956 MILLION OR 44 PER CENT.
ANALYSED BY COMMODITY, IMPORTS OF WATCHES AND CLOCKS SHIPPED BY AIR EXPERIENCED THE HIGHEST GROWTH (BY $1 360 MILLION OR 25 PER CENT), WHILST IN THE CASE OF EXPORTS BY AIR CLOTHING RECORDED THE HIGHEST GROWTH (BY $1 898 MILLION OR 38 PER CENT).
THE REVIEW ALSO PUBLISHES UNIT VALUE AND QUANTUM INDEXES WHICH ARE OFTEN USED TO ASSESS THE MOVEMENTS IN COMMODITY PRICES AND CHANGES IN TRADE VOLUME. DURING 1981, THE TRADE VOLUME FOR DOMESTIC EXPORTS INCREASED BY EIGHT PER CENT OVER 1980, THAT FOR IMPORTS BY 11 PER CENT, AND THAT FOR RE-EXPORTS BY 28 PER CENT. SUBSTANTIAL GROWTH WAS RECORDED IN THE EXPORT VOLUME OF WATCHES AND CLOCKS (BY 26 PER CENT), IMPORT VOLUME OF CONSUMER GOODS (BY 19 PER CENT) AND RE-EXPORT VOLUME OF FOODSTUFFS (BY 39 PER CENT).
HONG KONG WAS THE LARGEST EXPORTER OF CLOTHING, TOYS AND DOLLS, AS WELL AS ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS IN THE WORLD IN 1980. HONG KONG WAS ALSO THE SECOND LARGEST EXPORTER OF WATCHES AFTER SWITZERLAND, AND OF RADIO-BROADCAST RECEIVERS AFTER JAPAN.
THIS REVIEW, AT $56 PER COPY, IS AVAILABLE AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE, GROUND FLOOR, GENERAL POST OFFICE BUILDING, CONNAUGHT PLACE.
REVISION OF STANDING COMMISSION'S TERMS OF REFERENCE
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THE GOVERNMENT HAS AGREED TO REVISE THE TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE STANDING COMMISSION ON CIVIL SERVICE SALARIES AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE TO ENABLE THE COMMISSION TO ADVISE ON CONDITIONS OF SERVICE.
A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED THAT UNDER ITS ORIGINAL TERMS OF REFERENCE, APPROVED IN 1979, THE COMMISSION CANNOT ADVISE ON CONDITIONS OF SERVICE UNLESS THESE ARE SPECIFICALLY REFERRED TO THE COMMISSION BY THE GOVERNOR, OR THE SENIOR CIVIL SERVICE COUNCIL, OR THE STAFF SIDE OF THE SENIOR CIVIL SERVICE COUNCIL ACTING ALONE.
AS A RESULT OF THE REVISIONS NOW AGREED. THE COMMISSION WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE THE INITIATIVE TO REVIEW CIVIL SERVICE BENEFITS, AND ADVISE ON THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW BENEFITS AND CHANGES TO EXISTING BENEFITS.
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