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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1986
RESPONDING FIRMS IN THE 'PRINTING' AND WATCHES AND CLOCKS' INDUSTRIES EXPECTED THE BUSINESS SITUATION TO REMAIN STABLE DURING THE FIRST QUARTER.
FIRMS ACROSS ALL TRADES IN THE WHOLESALE, RETAIL AND IMPORT/EXPORT TRADES, RESTAURANTS AND HOTELS SECTOR REPORTED IMPROVEMENTS IN BUSINESS IN THE FOURTH QUARTER WITH HOTELS EXPERIENCING A STRONG SEASONAL UPTREND IN BUSINESS.
FIRMS IN BOTH THE WHOLESALE, RETAIL AND IMPORT/EXPORT TRADES' AND RESTAURANTS' BUSINESSES EXPECTED THE BUSINESS LEVEL IN THE FIRST QUARTER TO REMAIN SIMILAR TO THAT OF THE PRECEDING QUARTER. RESPONDENTS IN THE HOTELS BUSINESS ANTICIPATED A SEASONAL DOWNTREND DURING THE FIRST QUARTER.
WITH REGARD TO THE OTHER SERVICES' SECTOR, A GENERAL IMPROVEMENT IN BUSINESS DURING THE FOURTH QUARTER WAS REPORTED BY FIRMS TAKING PART IN THE SURVEY.
FIRMS IN THE 'REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT AND RELATED SERVICES' BUSINESS AND THE BANKS WERE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE BUSINESS OUTLOOK FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR WHILE ESTABLISHMENTS IN THE 'TRANSPORT, STORAGE AND COMMUNICATION BUSINESS EXPECTED LITTLE CHANGE IN THE GENERAL BUSINESS SITUATION.
THE SURVEY ALSO COVERED BUSINESS PROBLEMS FACED BY THE VARIOUS FIRMS.
FOR THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR, INSUFFICIENT BUSINESS CONTRACTS, PRICE COMPETITION BOTH IN HONG KONG AND OVERSEAS WERE INDICATED BY RESPONDENTS AS THE MOST PROMINENT PROBLEMS IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 1985 AND THESE PROBLEMS WERE EXPECTED TO REMAIN IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1986.
THE INTENSITY OF THESE PROBLEMS, HOWEVER, HAS SHOWN A TENDENCY TO LEVEL OFF.
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ON THE OTHER HAND, HIGH MATERIAL PRICES APPEARED TO EMERGE AS A PROBLEM FOR SEVERAL INDUSTRIES, ALTHOUGH THE EXTENT WAS NOT PARTICULARLY WORRYING.
FOR THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR, THE PROBLEMS OF PRICE COMPETITION BOTH IN HONG KONG AND OVERSEAS WERE REGARDED AS MAJOR PROBLEMS BOTH FOR THE FOURTH AND THE FIRST QUARTERS.
AS THE BUSINESS SITUATION IN THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR CONTINUED TO IMPROVE, THE PROMINENCE OF THE PROBLEM OF INSUFFICIENT BUSINESS CONTRACTS CITED IN PREVIOUS ROUNDS OF THE SURVEY DECLINED IN THE FOURTH QUARTER AND IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE UNCHANGED IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR.
AS FOR THE WHOLESALE, RETAIL AND IMPORT/EXPORT TRADES' BUSINESS, PRICE COMPETITION WAS CONSIDERED AS A MAJOR PROBLEM DURING BOTH QUARTERS UNDER REVIEW.
/INSUFFICIENT BUSINESS,