WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 1984
MANUFACTURERS SEE STRONG UPTREND' IN SECOND QUARTER
*****
HONG KONG'S MANUFACTURING CONCERNS EXPECT A STRONG UPTREND+ IN BUSINESS IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF THIS YEAR, ACCORDING TO
A QUARTERLY SURVEY CONDUCTED IN APRIL BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.
AND FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE THIRD QUARTER OF 1982 CONSTRUCTION FIRMS LOOK TOWARDS ACHIEVING A MILD IMPROVEMENT+ IN BUSINESS IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF 1984. THIS FOLLOWS A LEVELL ING OFF IN THE FIRST THREE MONTHS OF THIS YEAR OF THE SHARP DECLINE THAT HAD BEEN OCCURRING IN THE CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS SINCE THE THIRD QUARTER OF 1982, ACCORDING TO THE SURVEY FINDINGS.
THE SURVEY RESULTS INDICATE THAT IN GENERAL, THE BUSINESS EXPERIENCE OF FIRMS ACROSS ALL SECTORS IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR TURNED OUT TO BE BETTER THAN EXPECTED IN THE PREVIOUS SURVEY.
IN THE SURVEY, ABOUT 800 FIRMS FROM VARIOUS INDUSTRIES AND BUSINESSES, FORMING A CROSS SECTION OF THE ECONOMIC COMMUNITY WERE ASKED ABOUT THE IR BUSINESS EXPERIENCES IN THE FIRST QUARTER, 1984, AND THE IR EXPECTATIONS FOR THE SECOND QUARTER.
RESPONDENTS IN BOTH THE 'MANUFACTURING' AND 'WHOLESALE
AND RETAIL TRADE, RESTAURANTS AND HOTELS' SECTORS EXPERIENCED MILD IMPROVEMENTS IN BUSINESS IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1984 OVER THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 1983.
ALTHOUGH FIRMS IN THE 'CONSTRUCTION' SECTOR EXPERIENCED SOME DECLINE IN BUSINESS IN THE FIRST QUARTER, THE EXTENT OF DECLINE WAS MUCH LESS THAN EXPECTED IN THE LAST ROUND OF SURVEY. AS FOR THE OTHER SERVICES' SECTOR, A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN BUSINESS WAS EXPERIENCED BY REPORTING FIRMS IN THE FIRST QUARTER.
RESPONDENTS IN THE WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADE, RESTAURANTS AND HOTELS' SECTOR EXPECT THEIR BUSINESSES IN THE SECOND QUARTER TO REMAIN LARGELY STABLE, BUT RESPONDENTS' VIEWS ACROSS DIFFERENT TRADES WERE QUITE VARIED.
FIRMS IN THE OTHER SERVICES' SECTOR ALSO ANTICIPATE 'A FAVOURABLE BUSINESS SITUATION TO CONTINUE INTO THE SECOND QUARTER.
MANUFACTURING FIRMS HAD VARYING BUSINESS EXPERIENCES IN THE FIRST QUARTER.
REPORTING FIRMS IN THE 'PLASTICS' 'FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS' AND ELECTRICAL MACHINERY, APPLIANCES AND SUPPLIES' INDUSTRIES EXPERIENCED IMPROVEMENTS IN BUSINESS IN THE FIRST QUARTER AND ARE VERY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE IR IMMEDIATE BUSINESS PROSPECTS.
/SOME DETERIORATION