TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1983
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EARLIER AT THE MEETING TOMORROW, THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR WILL ALSO MOVE A MOTION INCREASING THE COVERAGE UNDER THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE TO ALL NON-MANUAL WORKERS EARNING NOT MORE THAN $8 500 A MONTH, FROM THE PRESENT $7 500 A MONTH WAGE LEVEL.
THIS IS IN ADDITION TO ALL MANUAL WORKERS WHO ARE COVERED BY THE ORDINANCE, IRRESPECTIVE OF THEIR MONTHLY EARNINGS,
FOUR OTHER BILLS ARE EXPECTED TO BE INTRODUCED AND READ A SECOND TIME AT THE MEETING, PRIOR TO ADJOURNMENT OF DEBATE TILL NOVEMBER 9 OR 10.
THEY ARE: MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY CORPORATION (AMENDMENT) BILL 1983, PENSIONS (INCREASE) (AMENDMENT) BILL 1983, BUILDINGS (AMENDMENT) (NO. 2) BILL 1983, AND THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY (LAND RESUMPTION AND RELATED PROVISIONS) (AMENDMENT) BILL 1983.
IN ADDITION, THREE QUESTIONS WILL BE ASKED BY UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS CONCERNING DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, THE INCIDENCE OF MALARIA, AND, THE INCREASING PRICES IN THE DOMESTIC ECONOMY.
JULY RETAIL SALES VALUE INDEX UP
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THE VALUE OF RETAIL SALES FOR THE RETAIL TRADE SECTOR IN JULY WAS ESTIMATED TO BE $4 652 MILLION, ACCORDING TO THE PROVISIONAL SURVEY RESULTS PUBLISHED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT TODAY.
AT 137, THE OVERALL RETAIL SALES VALUE INDEX FOR JULY ROSE BY THREE POINTS OR TWO PER CENT COMPARED WITH THE JUNE FIGURE, AND BY 14 POINTS OR 11 PER CENT WHEN COMPARED WITH JULY 1982.
THE OVERALL RETAIL SALES VOLUME INDEX, AT 105, WAS TWO POINTS OR TWO PER CENT HIGHER THAN THAT FOR JUNE, AND THRÉE POINTS OR THREE PER CENT HIGHER THAN THAT FOR JULY 1982.
COMPARED WITH THE JUNE FIGURE, RETAIL SALES OF CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS INCREASED BY FOUR PER CENT IN VALUE TERMS OR FIVE PER CENT IN VOLUME TERMS. ON THE OTHER HAND, RETAIL SALES OF CONSUMER DURABLES, OTHER CONSUMER GOODS, FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO, AND FUELS INCREASED BY FOUR PER CENT, TWO PER CENT, ONE PER CENT AND ONE PER CENT RESPECTIVELY IN BOTH VALUE AND VOLUME TERMS.
COMPARED WITH JULY 1982, RETAIL SALES OF FUELS ROSE BY 19 PER CENT IN VALUE TERMS, THOSE OF CONSUMER DURABLES BY 13 PER CENT, OTHER CONSUMER GOODS BY 12 PER CENT, FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO BY 11 PER CENT AND CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS BY SEVEN PER CENT.
IN VOLUME TERMS, THE MOST SIGNIFICANT INCREASE WAS REGISTERED IN RETAIL SALES OF CONSUMER DURABLES (EIGHT PER CENT), FOLLOWED BY INCREASES IN FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO (FOUR PER CENT), FUELS (THREE PER CENT), CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS (TWO PER CENT). AND OTHER CONSUMER GOODS (ONE PER CENT).
/ANALYSED BY