THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1992
A STABLE WITH THE THIRD
IN THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR, FIRMS EXPERIENCED ONLY BUSINESS IN THE
COMPARED QUARTER OF 1991 FOURTH QUARTER.
THIS IS DIFFERENT FROM THEIR EARLIER EXPECTATION BUSINESS IN THE QUARTER.
LOOKING
OF
FOR BETTER
CONSTRUCTION
IN THE WORK
AHEAD, THEY EXPECT THIS SITUATION TO CONTINUE FIRST QUARTER OF 1992, PENDING COMMENCEMENT RELATING TO THE NEW AIRPORT PROJECT.
FIRMS IN THE DISTRIBUTIVE AND CATERING TRADES SECTOR EXPERIENCED AN IMPROVEMENT IN BUSINESS IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF
GENERALLY
1991.
1992,
IMPORT/EXPORT
REGARDING THE BUSINESS OUTLOOK FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF
FIRMS RESTAURANTS AND
AND RETAIL IN THE WHOLESALE, TRADES EXPECT A FURTHER MILD IMPROVEMENT IN BUSINESS.
HOTELS,
HOWEVER, EXPECT BUSINESS TO BE LESS FAVOURABLE IN FIRST QUARTER, WHICH IS AN OFF-PEAK SEASON FOR TOURISM.
SURVEYED
IN THE OTHER SERVICES SECTOR, THE FIRMS EXPERIENCED AN IMPROVEMENT IN BUSINESS IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF
REGARDING
REAL
THE
GENERALLY
1991.
ANTICIPATE
FIRMS A
THE PROSPECTS FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1992, THE
ESTATE DEVELOPMENT AND RELATED SERVICES CONTINUED IMPROVEMENT.
IN
THE BANKS
QUARTER
OF
COMMUNICATION FAVOURABLE.
EXPECT BUSINESS TO REMAIN
WHILE 1992,
FIRMS SERVICES EXPECT
SIMILAR IN THE FIRST THE IN
STORAGE TRANSPORT,
SITUATION THE BUSINESS
TO BE
AND LESS
IN
IN
THE MANUFACTURING PRICE COMPETITION,
THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 1991, FIRMS GENERALLY ENCOUNTERED THE PROBLEMS OF INSUFFICIENT BUSINESS ORDERS/CONTRACTS AND HIGH WAGE RATES.
SECTOR
1992.
THESE PROBLEMS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF
DURING THE PAST FEW QUARTERS, PRICE COMPETITION HAD EMERGED THE MCST WIDELY REPORTED PROBLEM IN THE SECTOR.
AS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR, PRICE COMPETITION, HIGH WAGE RATES, SHORTAGE
WERE BUSINESS/CONTRACTS OF SKILLED LABOUR AND INSUFFICIENT THE MAJOR PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 1991.
THESE PROBLEMS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN IN THE FIRST QUARTER
OF
1992.
HAD
RATHER
PROBLEM THE
BEEN OF HIGH LABOUR TURNOVER, WHICH SERIOUS IN EARLIER QUARTERS, SHOWED SIGNS OF IMPROVEMENT RECENTLY.
THE IN
MANY DISTRIBUTIVE AND CATERING TRADES SECTOR,
HOTELS THE TWO MOST CONSIDERED PRICE COMPETITION AND HIGH STAFF COSTS AS DOMINANT BUSINESS PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 1991.
/IN ADDITION