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TUESDAY, MAY 24, 1983
HIGHER EXPORT EARNINGS FOR TEXTILES EXPECTED
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RECENT SHARP INCREASES IN TEXTILE QUOTA PRICES POINT TO HIGHER EXPORT EARNINGS FOR HONG KONG THIS YEAR, THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY, MR JUSTIN YUE, SAID TODAY.
+THIS SHOULD HELP SUSTAIN THE RECOVERY IN OUR EXPORT TRADE THAT IS REFLECTED IN THE FIRST QUARTER ECONOMIC REPORT RELEASED TODAY, MR YUE SAID.
REFERRING TO QUOTA PRICES, HE EXPLAINED THAT INCREASED QUOTA PRICES USUALLY MEANT THAT QUOTAS WOULD BE FULLY TAKEN UP IN THE COURSE OF THE YEAR.
+ IF SO. TEXTILE EXPORTS IN 1983 SHOULD PROVIDE MORE EARNINGS FOR HONG KONG THAN IN 1982, HE SAID.
CONSUMER PRICE INDEXES FOR APRIL
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THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (A) AND CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (B) FOR APRIL 1983 WERE 142 AND 140 RESPECTIVELY, ACCORDING TO FIGURES RELEASED TODAY BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.
COMPARED WITH THE PRECEDING MONTH, CPI(A) INCREASED BY TWO POINTS OR 1.4 PER CENT AND CPI(B) BY ONE POINT OR 0.7 PER CENT.
WHEN COMPARED WITH THE SAME MONTH OF THE PRECEDING YEAR, CPI(A) ROSE BY 15 POINTS OR 11,8 PER CENT AND CPI(B) BY 13 POINTS OR 10.2 PER CENT.
DURING THE THREE-MONTH PERIOD ENDED IN APRIL 1983, THE SEASONALLY ADJUSTED CPI(A) INCREASED AT AN AVERAGE RATE OF 1.5 PER CENT EACH MONTH AND THE SEASONALLY ADJUSTED CPI(B), 1.2 PER CENT.
DURING APRIL, THE PRICES OF FRESH VEGETABLES STAYED AT A HIGH LEVEL OWING TO PROTRACTED ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS. IN ADDITION, CHARGES FOR MEALS IN RESTAURANTS AND RENTALS OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE DWELLINGS INCREASED.
THE CPI(A) AND CPI(B) ARE BASED ON THE EXPENDITURE PATTERNS OF PER CENT AND 30 PER CENT, RESPECTIVELY, OF URBAN HOUSEHOLDS IN HONG KONG, WHICH WERE DERIVED FROM THE 1979/80 HOUSEHOLD EXPENDITURE SURVEY. THE CPI(A) REFERRED TO HOUSEHOLDS SPENDING BETWEEN $1 000 AND $3 499 A MONTH AND THE CPI(B) TO HOUSEHOLDS SPENDING BETWEEN $3 500 AND $6 499 A MONTH AT THAT TIME.
THE INDEXES FOR APRIL 1983 IN RESPECT OF THE NINE COMMODITY/ SERVICE SECTIONS IN THE TWO CONSUMER PRICE INDEXES ARE GIVEN BELOW, TOGETHER WITH THOSE FOR MARCH 1983 AND APRIL 1982.
/(OCTOBER