XN000022-1979-01-21 — Page 4

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 21, 1979

THE TWO PRINCIPAL MARRIAGE REGISTRIES AT THE CITY HALL AND THE KOWLOON GOVERNMENT OFFICES REMAIN MOST POPULAR WITH 36.06 PER CENT OF ALL REGISTRY MARRIAGES CELEBRATED THERE.

ANOTHER POPULAR REGISTRY WAS THE SAN PO KONG REGISTRY, WHERE 6,727 MARRIAGES TOOK PLACE DURING THE YEAR.

THE CITY HALL MARRIAGE REGISTRY CONTINUED TO OPERATE ON SUNDAY MORNINGS DURING THE YEAR AND A TOTAL OF $25 SUNDAY MORNING MARRIAGES WERE PERFORMED.

IN MANY CASES, SUNDAY WAS CHOSEN BECAUSE IT HAPPENED TO BE A LUCKY DAY ACCORDING TO THE CHINESE CALENDAR IN OTHERS SIMPLY BECAUSE OF CONVENIENCE FOR WORK OR OTHER REASONS.

PROVISIONAL TRADE FIGURES FOR DECEMBER

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THE VALUE OF HONG KONG'S DOMESTIC EXPORTS FOR DECEMBER, 1978 WAS $4,305 MILLION, IMPORTS WERE WORTH $6,809 MILLION AND RE-EXPORTS $1,218 MILLION, ACCORDING TO THE PROVISIONAL TRADE FIGURES RELEASED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT TODAY (SUNDAY).

THE TRADE DEFICIT FOR THE MONTH WAS $1,286 MILLION.

THE FIGURES FOR THE PERIOD OCTOBER TO DECEMBER 1978 (LATEST THREE MONTHS) SHOWED INCREASES, BY VALUE, COMPARED WITH THE SAME PERIOD IN 1977 OF 24.9 PER CENT FOR DOMESTIC EXPORTS. 39.3 PER CENT FOR IMPORTS AND 40.2 PER CENT FOR RE-EXPORTS. DOMESTIC EXPORTS AND RE-EXPORTS TOGETHER ROSE BY 28.3 PER CENT,

COMPARED WITH THE SAME MONTH IN 1977, INCREASES, BY VALUE, OF $728 MILLION OR 20.4 PER CENT IN EXPORTS, $1,893 MILLION OR 38.5 PER CENT IN IMPORTS AND $244 MILLION OR 25.0 PER CENT IN RE-EXPORTS WERE RECORDED.

THE SHORT-TERM CHANGES, DECEMBER 1978 COMPARED WITH NOVEMBER 1978, SHOWED INCREASES OF $508 MILLION OR 13.4 PER CENT FOR DOMESTIC EXPORTS, $390 MILLION OR 6.1 PER CENT FOR IMPORTS, AND A DECREASE OF $165 MILLION OR 11.9 PER CENT FOR RE-EXPORTS.

THE FIGURES FOR THE WHOLE YEAR OF 1978 COMPARED WITH THOSE OF 1977 SHOWED INCREASES, BY VALUE, OF 16.3 PER CENT FOR DOMESTIC EXPORTS, 29.4 PER CENT FOR IMPORTS AND 34.2 PER CENT FOR

RE-EXPORTS.

/FOLLOWING