MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1982
SUMMARY RESULTS ON THE 1980 SURVEY OF WHOLESALE, RETAIL AND IMPORT/EXPORT TRADES, RESTAURANTS AND HOTELS
*****
THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT TODAY RELEASED SUMMARY RESULTS OF THE 1980 SURVEY OF WHOLESALE, RETAIL AND IMPORT/EXPORT TRADES, RESTAURANTS AND HOTELS. THIS SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED IN 1981 AND EARLY 1982 TO COLLECT INFORMATION ON THE STRUCTURE AND PERFORMANCE OF THIS SECTOR IN 1980 SO THAT ANALYSIS CAN BE MADE OF THE CHANGES SINCE 1979.
THE DATA COLLECTED IN THE SURVEY INCLUDED TYPE OF OWNERSHIP, NUMBER OF PERSONS ENGAGED, LABOUR COSTS, OPERATING EXPENSES, PURCHASES OF GOODS FOR SALE, STOCKS, SALES AND OTHER RECEIPTS, AND CAPITAL EXPENDITURE.
(A SUMMARY OF THE SURVEY RESULTS TOGETHER WITH THE COMPARATIVE FIGURES FOR 1979 AND 1980 IS SHOWN IN A STATISTICAL TABLE, WHICH IS BEING TRANSMITTED BY FACSIMILE NETWORK AND BOXED SEPARATELY).
THE SURVEY RESULTS INDICATED THAT THERE WERE ABOUT 65 900 ESTABLISHMENTS IN THE WHOLESALE, RETAIL AND IMPORT/EXPORT TRADES, RESTAURANTS AND HOTELS SECTOR IN 1980, WITH A TOTAL OF 452 506 PERSONS ENGAGED, REPRESENTING INCREASES OF NINE PER CENT AND TEN PER CENT RESPECTIVELY OVER 1979. DURING 1980, THEY INCURRED EXPENDITURE OF $10 474 MILLION IN LABOUR COSTS, $18 835 MILLION IN OPERATING EXPENSES, AND $201 749 MILLION IN PURCHASES OF GOODS FOR SALE. WHEN COMPARED WITH 1979, THEY SHOWED INCREASES OF 31 PER CENT, 38 PER CENT AND 32 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY.
IN 1980, THIS SECTOR GENERATED $240 758 MILLION IN SALES AND OTHER RECEIPTS, UP BY 33 PER CENT AS COMPARED WITH 1979. THE VALUE ADDED BY THE SECTOR, COMPRISING LABOUR COSTS, INTEREST PAYMENTS AND OPERATING SURPLUS, GREW BY 30 PER CENT TO $25 739 MILLION IN 1960 FROM $19 762 MILLION IN 1979. THIS VALUE ADDED REPRESENTED THE SECTOR'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT OF HONG KONG.
THE SURVEY ALSO REVEALED THAT IN 1980, SOME 55 PER CENT OF THE 65 900 ESTABLISHMENTS WERE IN RETAIL TRADE, EMPLOYING 31 PER CENT OF ALL THE PERSONS ENGAGED AND ACCOUNTING FOR 17 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL SALES AND OTHER RECEIPTS, AND 22 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL VALUE ADDED IN THE SECTOR.
/IMPORT/EXPORT