THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 1991
11
CONSTRUCTION WORK WOULD COMMENCE IN LATE 1992 AND TAKE ABOUT FOUR YEARS TO COMPLETE.
THE CONSULTANCY AGREEMENT WAS SIGNED TODAY BETWEEN MR KWBI AND THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SPHW CONSORTIUM, MR D.R. BUTLER.
THE CONSORTIUM COMPRISES SCOTT WILSON KIRKPATRICK AND PARTNERS, PARSONS BRINCKERHOFF (ASIA) LTD., WILBUR SMITH ASSOCIATES AND CHARLES HASWELL & PARTNERS (FAR EAST), TOGETHER WITH OTHER SUBCONSULTANTS.
THIRD EDITION OF "HK'S MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES" PUBLISHED
* * * * *
THE VALUE OF HONG KONG'S DOMESTIC EXPORTS INCREASED FROM $2,867 MILLION IN 1960 TO $225,875 MILLION IN 1990, SHOWING AN ANNUAL GROWTH OF 12.7%.
OWING TO THE GENERAL SLOWDOWN OF THE WORLD ECONOMY, THE VALUR OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS ONLY GREW BY 3% AND 1% IN 1989 AND 1990 RESPECTIVELY.
THE ABOVE FIGURES ARE CONTAINED IN THE THIRD EDITION OF THE "HONG KONG'S MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES" WHICH IS RELEASED BY THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT TODAY (THURSDAY).
730,217
THE PUBLICATION ALSO NOTED THAT AS AT 1990, A TOTAL OF PERSONS WERE EMPLOYED BY
BY HONG KONG'S MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES, ACCOUNTING FOR 29.5% OF TOTAL EMPLOYMENT.
THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR, HOWEVER, CEASED TO BE THE LARGEST EMPLOYER AND WAS OVERTAKEN BY THE WHOLESALE, RETAIL, IMPORT/EXPORT TRADES, RESTAURANT AND HOTELS SECTOR.
THE NUMBER OF MANUFACTURING ESTABLISHMENTS DROPPED FROM 49,926 IN 1989 TO 49,087 LAST YEAR.
COMMENTING ON THE DECREASING TREND IN THE NUMBER OF MANUFACTURING ESTABLISHMENTS AND EMPLOYEES, THE DIRECTOR OF INDUSTRY, MR WILFRED WONG, ATTRIBUTED THIS IN PART ΤΟ THE INCREASING USE OF AUTOMATION IN MANUFACTURING AND THE SHIFT OF LABOUR-INTENSİVE ÅND LOWER-END PRODUCTION TO CHINA.
MR WONG SAID HONG KONG'S MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES MAINLY CONSISTED OF SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED FACTORIES. THE AVERAGE SIZE OF INDUSTRIAL ESTABLISHMENTS HAD DROPPED FROM 18 PERSONS IN 1985 ΤΟ 15 PERSONS IN 1990.
"OF THE 49,087 INDUSTRIAL ESTABLISHMENTS IN 1990, 42,281
PERSONS, AND
ESTABLISHMENTS (86.1 PER CENT) EMPLOYED FEWER THAN 20 46,500 (94.7 PER CENT) OF THE ESTABLISHMENTS EMPLOYED FEWER THAN 50 PERSONS.
/"ALTHOUGH MAKING