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MONDAY, APRIL 18, 1983
AS THE POPULATION IN THE AREA FOR WHICH THE URBAN COUNCIL IS RESPONSIBLE HAS GROWN ENORMOUSLY IN THE POST WAR YEARS, SIR EDWARD CONSIDERED IT FIT THAT ARRANGEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE FOR THE COUNCIL TO REINFORCE ITS CONTACTS WITH THOSE WHOM IT REPRESENTS NOT ONLY THROUGH ELECTIONS ON A WIDER FRANCHISE BUT THROUGH THE PROVISION OF SEATS FOR ELECTED COUNCILLORS ON THE DISTRICT BOARDS IN THE IR CONSTITUENCIES+.
+THIS WILL IMPROVE THE ACCESS OF THE COUNCIL TO THE VIEWS OF THOSE ON WHOSE BEHALF YOU ACT AND ENABLE YOU TO REFLECT THE NEEDS OF THE DISTRICTS IN THE DECISIONS WHICH YOU TAKE.
+IT WILL IN TURN PROVIDE A MEANS BY WHICH THE POLICIES ADOPTED BY THE COUNCIL CAN BE EXPLAINED AND GAIN ACCEPTANCE AT DISTRICT LEVEL,+ HE SAID.
IN PAYING TRIBUTE TO BOTH PAST AND PRESENT MEMBERS FOR THE IR CONTRIBUTION TO THE WORK OF THE COUNCIL, SIR EDWARD ADDED IN THE AREA OF YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES IT WILL BE YOUR TASK, AND IT IS A CHALLENGING ONE, TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR FAST DEVELOPING URBAN SOCIETY AND I WISH YOU ALL EVERY SUCCESS IN IT.+
AIRBORNE TRADE INCREASES NINE PER CENT
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HONG KONG'S AIRBORNE MERCHANDISE TRADE LAST YEAR, VALUED AT $62 063 MILLION, INCREASED BY NINE PER CENT OVER THE 1981 FIGURE, ACCORDING TO SUMMARY STATISTICS RELEASED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT TODAY.
AIRBORNE DOMESTIC EXPORTS, VALUED AT $21 966 MILLION, INCREASED BY THREE PER CENT; IMPORTS, AT $29 584 MILLION, ROSE BY 15 PER CENT, AND RE-EXPORTS AT $10 513 MILLION, INCREASED BY FIVE PER CENT.
LAST YEAR'S AIRBORNE DOMESTIC EXPORTS MADE UP 26 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL VALUE OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS, IMPORTS MADE UP 21 PËR CENT OF TOTAL VALUE AND RE-EXPORTS 24 PER CENT OF TOTAL VALUE, THE DEPARTMENT STATED.
IN TERMS OF WEIGHT, TOTAL AIRBORNE EXPORTS AMOUNTED TO 172 609 TONNES, OR 1.8 PER CENT OF TOTAL EXPORTS TONNAGE, AND AIRBORNE IMPORTS CAME TO 133 148 TONNES, REPRESENTING 0.4 PER CENT OF TOTAL IMPORT TONNAGE.
BY COMMODITY, INCREASES IN AIRBORNE DOMESTIC EXPORTS WERE REGISTERED MAINLY IN JEWELLERY, GOLDSMITHS' AND SILVERSMITHS' WARES (BY $247 MILLION OR 28%), OFFICE AND STATIONERY SUPPLIES (BY $233 MILLION OR 38%), WATCHES AND CLOCKS (BY $132 MILLION OR 2) AND MISCELLANEOUS TELECOMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT, PARTS, AND ACCESSORIES (BY $122 MILLION OR 59%).
HOWEVER, DECLINES WERE RECORDED FOR OFFICE MACHINES AND AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING EQUIPMENT (BY $468 MILLION OR 22%), AND PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS AND EQUIPMENT (BY $74 MILLION OR 30%).
FURTHER ANALYSIS