6
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1987
* CHANGES TO THE APPROVED ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE DURING THE
THIRD QUARTER OF 1986-87;
* SUPPLEMENTARY PROVISION OF $28.97 MILLION TO MEET EXPENDITURE
ON SOCIAL WELFARE SUBVENTIONS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THIS FINANCIAL YEAR, AND
* SURPLUSES OF $38.22 MILLION IN VOLUNTARY AGENCIES' RESERVE
ACCOUNTS.
THIRD QUARTER INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION INDEX PUBLISHED
*****
THE INDEX OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION IN THE THIRD QUARTER OF 1986, AT 158.6, WAS 26.5 POINTS OR 20.1 PER CENT ABOVE THAT IN THE SAME QUARTER OF 1985, ACCORDING TO STATISTICS RELEASED TODAY (TUESDAY) BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.
COMPARED WITH THE PRECEDING QUARTER, THE INDEX SHOWED AN INCREASE OF 14.3 POINTS OR 9.9 PER CENT.
ACCORDING TO MANUFACTURERS SURVEYED, THIS UPSURGE IN THE LEVEL OF PRODUCTION WAS LARGELY DUE TO STRONG DEMAND FOR HONG KONG'S PRODUCTS IN MANY OVERSEAS MARKETS.
SEASONAL FACTORS ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE INCREASE IN PRODUCTION OVER THE LEVEL IN THE PREVIOUS QUARTER, AS THE THIRD QUARTER IS NORMALLY THE PEAK SEASON FOR MANUFACTURING ACTIVITY TO MEET HIGH CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR DEMAND OVERSEAS.
INDUSTRIES WITH THE MOST SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES IN PRODUCTION OVER THE THIRD QUARTER OF 1985 WERE CHEMICALS AND CHEMICAL PRODUCTS (+36.0 PER CENT), TEXTILES (+32.0 PER CENT), CONSUMER ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS (+29.9 PER CENT), PRINTING (+29.5 PER CENT), WEARING APPAREL (+25.0 PER CENT), AND FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS (+23.4 PER CENT).
/HOWEVER, THE