XN000022-1976-07-23 — Page 2

FRIDAY, JULY 23, 1976.

APRIL ACCOUNTS SHOW $106 M. SURPLUS

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THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTS FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL 1976 SHOW A SURPLUS OF $106 MILLION COMPARED WITH A DEFICIT OF $18 MILLION IN APRIL LAST YEAR.

COMPAR

GROSS EXPENDITURE WAS $406 MILLION COMPARED WITH $423 MILLION IN APRIL 1975, BUT THERE WERE ONLY 21 WORKING DAYS IN APRIL THIS YEAR COMPARED WITH 24 LAST YEAR. THE EXPENDITURE FIGURE DOES NOT INCLUDE THE RECENTLY ANNOUNCED SALARY INCREASE. EFFECTIVE FROM APRIL 1, 1976 WHICH WILL NOT BE REFLECTED IN THE ACCOUNTS UNTIL JUNE.

TOTAL REVENUE AND RECEIPTS FOR THE MONTH AMOUNTED TO $512 MILLION COMPARED WITH $405 MILLION IN THE SAME MONTH LAST YEAR. THERE WERE EXPECTED INCREASES UNDER MOST HEADINGS, PARTICULARLY IN REVENUE FROM LAND SALES. INTERNAL REVENUE DID NOT INCREASE AS MUCH AS EXPECTED, DUE TO THE LARGE NUMBER OF SALARIES TAXPAYERS WHO PAID THEIR FULL TAX IN 1975-76 RATHER THAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE INSTALMENT SYSTEM WHICH ALLOWED THEM TO DEFER PAYMENT TO 1976-77.

JOB STANDARD MANUAL FOR CLOTHING INDUSTRY PUBLISHED

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THE CLOTHING INDUSTRY TRAINING BOARD OF THE HONG KONG TRAINING COUNCIL HAS PRODUCED A MANUAL OF JOB STANDARDS FOR THE INDUSTRY.

OF THE 22 PRINCIPAL JOBS FOR WHICH MINIMUM STANDARDS AND SPECIFICATIONS WERE SET OUT, THREE WERE AT TECHNOLOGIST LEVEL, FIVE AT TECHNICIAN LEVEL, FOUR AT CRAFT LEVEL AND TEN AT OPERATIVE LEVEL.

A SPOKESMAN OF THE TRAINING BOARD SAID THAT THE MANUAL WAS PREPARED WITH A VIEW TO INTRODUCING AN ACCEPTABLE STANDARD OF SKILL FOR PRINCIPAL JOBS AND PROVIDING GUIDELINES FOR COURSES AT TECHNICAL INSTITUTIONS AND TRAINING CENTRES.

HE SAID THAT IT ALSO AIMED AT ASSISTING EMPLOYERS IN PLANNING PROPER TRAINING PROGRAMMES FOR THEIR APPRENTICES AND IN ASSESSING THE COMPETENCE OF THEIR WORKERS.

THE MANUAL, IN CHINESE AND ENGLISH, IS OBTAINABLE FROM THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE, STAR FERRY CONCOURSE, AT $7.00 A COPY.

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