XN000022-1974-06-19 — Page 12

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19, 1974

ENCOURAGING RESPONSE TO PRODUCTION: CENSUS

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THERE HAS BEEN ENCOURAGING RESPONSE TO A CURRENT CENSUS OF PRODUCTION IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR OF THE ECONOMY IN RESPECT OF LAST YEAR'S ACTIVITY, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, THE HON. PHILIP. HADDONCAVE, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

THE CENSUS IS PART OF A LONG TERM PROGRAMME WHICH WILL

- SUCH AS EVENTUALLY PROVIDE FOR EACH SECTOR OF THE ECONOMY MANUFACTURING, PRIMARY PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION AND COMMERCE 'AN ESTIMATE OF ITS CONTRIBUTION TO THE GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT, AN ANALYSIS OF ITS OVERALL STRUCTURE, AND A DESCRIPTION OF THE MAIN ASPECTS OF ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE REST OF THE ECONOMY.

MR. HADDON-CAVE SAID THIS WOULD ENABLE STATISTICAL INDICATORS TO BE PREPARED TO ASSIST IN THE PREPARATION OF A CONTINUING ASSESSMENT OF ACTIVITY IN ALL SECTORS OF THE ECONOMY.

IN ADDITION TO THE CENSUS, IT WAS ALSO INTENDED TO CONDUCT QUARTEN

ERLY ENQUIRIES IN THE NANUFACTURING SECTOR BEGINNING IN 1975. THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY SAID WHEN REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON. DR. CHUNG SZE-YUEN.

+THESE WILL COVER SUCH MAIN AGGREGATES AS SALES, EMPLOYMENT AND EARNINGS, AND, ON THE BASIS OF THE FINDINGS OBTAINED, A REGULAR INDEX OF PRODUCTION WILL BE PREPARED.+

COMMENTING ON THE CURRENT CENSUS UNDERTAKEN BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY SAID PROGRESS OF THE EXERCISE MUST BE, AT THIS STAGE, ASSESSED BY THE NUMBER OF QUESTIONNAIRES SENT OUT AND THOSE RETURNED.

+SINCE THE END OF MARCH, 5,283 LONG FORMS HAVE BEEN SENT TO ALL ESTABLISHMENTS EMPLOYING OVER 20 PERSONS, 4,686 SHORT FORMS TO THOSE EMPLOYING BETWEEN 10 - 19 PERSONS AND A FURTHER 2,000 OR SO SHORT FORMS TO A SAMPLE OF SOME 17,000 ESTABLISHMENTS EMPLOYING UNDER 10 PERSONS.

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+UP TO THE 15TH OF THIS MONTH, 1,164 LONG FORMS AND 1,540 SHORT FORMS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED AND RETURNED, AND THIS RESPONSE IS CONSIDERED TO BE ENCOURAGING.+

HE SAID IT WAS NOT INTENDED TO MAKE AVAILABLE PRELIMINARY FINDINGS FROM THIS CENSUS. +INSTEAD, WHEN ALL THE FORMS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED AND CHECKED, THEY WILL BE PREPARED FOR THE COMPUTER, A PROCESS WHICH IS EXPECTED TO TAKE UNTIL THE END OF THE YEAR.

+THE RESULTS WILL THEN BE RELEASED IN SEVERAL VOLUMES, EACH ONE CONTAINING DETAILED ANALYSES IN RESPECT OF CERTAIN CLASSIFICATIONS OF MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY,+ HE SAID.

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