THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 1984
SITE FORMATION FOR EASTERN HOSPITAL TO START SOON
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ALL SITE TESTS AND INVESTIGATIONS FOR THE EASTERN HOSPITAL HAVE BEEN COMPLETED AND SITE FORMATION SHOULD BE ABLE TO START IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE YEAR.
THIS WAS SAID BY THE DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, DR K.L. THONG, AT TODAY'S SPECIAL PUBLIC EXAMINATION OF THE DRAFT ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR 1984-85.
PILING AND CONSTRUCTION WILL THEN BE ABLE TO GET UNDER WAY IN THE MIDDLE OF NEXT YEAR, HE ADDED.
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ANSWERING A QUESTION ON THE PROGRESS OF THE HOSPITAL, DR THONG SAID THE PROJECT WAS FIRST INCLUDED IN THE PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME IN 1981 AND UPGRADED TO CATEGORY B IN APRIL THE NEXT YEAR.
IN AUGUST OF 1983 IT WAS FURTHER UPGRADED TO CATEGORY AB. THREE MONTHS LATER THE PUBLIC WORKS PRIORITY COMMITTEE ACCEPTED THAT THE SITE FORMATION PART OF THE PROJECT SHOULD BE UPGRADED TO CATEGORY A LATER THIS YEAR TO ENABLE WORK TO START.
*THE FINAL DECISION FOR THIS UPGRADING RESTS, OF COURSE, WITH THE PUBLIC WORKS SUB-COMMITTEE OF THIS (FINANCE) COMMITTEE, DR THONG EXPLAINED.
RETAIL SALES VALUE INDEX RISES
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THE VALUE OF RETAIL SALES FOR THE RETAIL TRADE SECTOR IN DECEMBER 1983 WAS ESTIMATED TO BE $5 402 MILLION, ACCORDING TO THE PROVISIONAL SURVEY RESULTS.
AT 159, THE OVERALL RETAIL SALES VALUE INDEX INCREASED BY 10 POINTS OR 7 PER CENT OVER NOVEMBER 1983, AND BY 19 POINTS OR 14 PER CENT OVER DECEMBER 1982.
THE OVERALL RETAIL SALES VOLUME INDEX, AT 113, WAS 7 POINTS OR 7 PER CENT UP ON NOVEMBER 1983, AND 1 POINT OR 1 PER CENT UP ON DECEMBER 1982.
COMPARED WITH NOVEMBER 1983, RETAIL SALES OF CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS ROSE BY 11 PER CENT AND THOSE OF FUELS BY 3 PER CENT IN BOTH VALUE AND VOLUME TERMS. RETAIL SALES OF FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO INCREASED BY 9 PER CENT IN VALUE TERMS. THOSE OF CONSUMER DURABLES BY 7 PER CENT, AND THOSE OF OTHER CONSUMER GOODS BY 5 PER CENT. THEIR CORRESPONDING INCREASES IN VOLUME TERMS WERE 10 PER CENT, 6 PER CENT AND 4 PER CENT.
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