FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1986
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LAST YEAR, A BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE PRACTICE NOTE WAS ISSUED TO AUTHORISED PERSONS AND REGISTERED STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS, STRONGLY RECOMMENDING THAT PRACTITIONERS DID NOT SPECIFY OR PERMIT ASBESTOS MATERIALS IN NEW BUILDINGS.
HOWEVER, THE BUILDING REGULATIONS CONTAIN SEVERAL REFERENCES
THE SE TO ASBESTOS BUILDING PRODUCTS AS PERMITTED MATERIALS. HAVE NOW BEEN DELETED TO ACHIEVE CONSISTENCY IN THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY OF DISCOURAGING THE USE OF ASBESTOS MATERIALS.
THE FACTORIES AND INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS (ASBESTOS) SPECIAL REGULATIONS 1986 WERE INTRODUCED IN AUGUST, FOLLOWING WHICH THE USE OF THE MOST HAZARDOUS ASBESTOS BUILDING PRODUCTS HAS BEEN PROHIBITED.
THE REGULATIONS ALSO PROVIDE GUIDELINES FOR THE SAFETY OF CONSTRUCTION WORKERS WHEN HANDLING ASBESTOS PRODUCTS.
EXTERNAL TRADE STATISTICS FOR OCTOBER RELEASED
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THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT TODAY (FRIDAY) RELEASED TRADE VALUE STATISTICS FOR OCTOBER 1986. COMPARED WITH OCTOBER 1985, TOTAL MERCHANDISE TRADE IN OCTOBER 1986, VALUED AT $55 657 MILLION, GREW BY 41 PER CENT.
DOMESTIC EXPORTS INCREASED BY 38 PER CENT TO $15 360 MILLION WHILE RE-EXPORTS ROSE BY 46 PER CENT TO $12 292 MILLION, THUS BRINGING TOTAL EXPORTS TO $27 651 MILLION, 41 PER CENT HIGHER THAN IN OCTOBER 1985. IMPORTS INCREASED BY 40 PER CENT TO $28 006 MILLION.
DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO ALL MAJOR MARKETS INCREASED IN VALUE TERMS BETWEEN OCTOBER 1985 AND OCTOBER 1986. THE GROWTH IN DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO JAPAN (77 PER CENT), THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY (67 PER CENT), CHINA (66 PER CENT), FRANCE (59 PER CENT) AND THE NETHERLANDS (51 PER CENT) WAS PARTICULARLY STRONG.
/ON THE .............