HOTEL
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1993
OPERATORS REPORTED THAT THE GENERAL
BUSINESS SITUATION DETERIORATED
IN THE THIRD QUARTER OF 1993, AS TOURISM REACHED A SEASONAL LOW. THE PROBLEM OF KEEN PRICE COMPETITION REMAINED THE MAJOR BUSINESS PROBLEM.
ON THE OTHER HAND, THE PROBLEMS OF HIGH STAFF TURNOVER AND SHORTAGE OF QUALIFIED STAFF ALLEVIATED. LOOKING AHEAD, IMPROVEMENT IN THE BUSINESS SITUATION IS EXPECTED.
FOR
THE TRANSPORT, STORAGE AND COMMUNICATION SERVICES, SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN THE GENERAL BUSINESS SITUATION WAS REPORTED IN THE THIRD QUARTER OF 1993.
THE PROBLEM OF SHORTAGE OF EXPERIENCED STAFF ALLEVIATED IN THE QUARTER. LOOKING AHEAD, FIRMS FROM THESE TRADES EXPECT FURTHER IMPROVEMENT IN THE BUSINESS SITUATION IN THE FOLLOWING QUARTER.
ABOUT 500 FIRMS FROM VARIOUS INDUSTRIES AND TRADES, FORMING CROSS-SECTION OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, PARTICIPATED IN THE SURVEY.
A
THEY WERE ASKED ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS EXPERIENCES EXPECTATIONS AS WELL AS THE BUSINESS PROBLEMS THEY FACED.
AND
A
THE RESULTS OF THE QUARTERLY BUSINESS SURVEY, OBTAINED WITH MINIMUM TIME LAG, ARE INTENDED TO PROVIDE A SOURCE OF REFERENCE FOR MAKING A QUICK ASSESSMENT OF THE CURRENT ECONOMIC SITUATION OF HONG KONG FROM A SHORT-TERM PERSPECTIVE.
IN THE SURVEY, PARTICIPATING FIRMS WERE ASKED TO INDICATE WHETHER, IN THEIR OPINION, THE GENERAL BUSINESS SITUATION AND THE LEVEL OF CAPACITY UTILISATION HAD 'IMPROVED', 'REMAINED THE SAME' OR 'DETERIORATED' IN THE THIRD QUARTER OF 1993 AS COMPARED WITH THE
PRECEDING QUARTER.
THEY WERE ALSO ASKED TO INDICATE WHETHER THE SITUATION IS EXPECTED ΤΟ 'IMPROVE' REMAIN THE SAME' OR 'DETERIORATE' IN THE
FOURTH QUARTER OF 1993.
THE OPINIONS OF RESPONDENTS WERE THEN ANALYSED AND THE SUMMARY FINDINGS PUBLISHED IN THE "REPORT ON QUARTERLY BUSINESS SURVEY, THIRD QUARTER 1993".
MOREOVER, THE SURVEY REPORT CONTAINS A SECTION ON THE BUSINESS PROBLEMS EXPERIENCED AND EXPECTED BY FIRMS IN THE DIFFERENT ECONOMIC SECTORS.
ΤΟ
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT REMARKED THAT, IN A SURVEY OF THIS NATURE, THE RESULTS SHOULD BE INTERPRETED WITH CAUTION AS IT WAS DIFFICULT
ESTABLISH PRECISELY THE EXTENT TO RESPONDENTS' RECOLLECTION OF THE PAST AND PERCEPTION OF THE ACCORDED WITH THE UNDERLYING TRENDS.
WHICH FUTURE
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC MAY BUY COPIES OF THE SURVEY REPORT FROM THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE, GROUND FLOOR, GENERAL POST OFFICE BUILDING, CONNAUGHT PLACE, OR FROM THE PUBLICATIONS SECTION OF THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT, 19TH FLOOR, WANCHAI TOWER, HARBOUR ROAD, WAN CHAI, AT $12.5 A COPY.
12
BE
FURTHER DETAILS OF THE QUARTERLY BUSINESS SURVEY MAY OBTAINED FROM THE INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH SECTION OF THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT ON TEL 839 3223.
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