XN000022-1979-06-21 — Page 6

THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 1979

5

THE TRADE INDEX NUMBERS FOR MARCH 1979 (1973 RELEASED AS FOLLOWS:

100) WERE

VALUE INDEX UNIT VALUE INDEX

QUANTUM INDEX

DOMESTIC EXPORTS

IMPORTS

235

268

154

153

158

169

THE TERMS OF TRADE INDEX FOR MARCH 1979 WAS 97.

DIRECTOR OF TRADE LEAVES FOR EUROPE TOMORROW

*****

THE DIRECTOR OF TRADE, MR. LAWRENCE MILLS, LEAVES HONG KONG TOMORROW (FRIDAY) FOR A SERIES OF TALKS IN LONDON, BRUSSELS AND GENEVA.

IN LONDON HE WILL MEET OFFICIALS AT THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE AND AT THE DEPARTMENTS OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY FOR DISCUSSIONS ON GENERAL TOPICS OF INTEREST ON HONG KONG'S TRADE.

JF

HE WILL BE JOINED BY A TICD DELEGATION IN BRUSSELS WHERE HE WILL BE DISCUSSING WITH THE EEC THE VARIOUS ISSUES THAT REMA IN UNRESOLVED IN THE HONG KONG EEC TEXTILE AGREEMENT.

+ I HOPE WE CAN TIE UP THESE LOOSE ENDS SO THAT THE AGREEMENT WHICH HAD BEEN OPERATING SINCE THE BEGINNING OF JANUARY 1978 CAN BE FORMALLY RATIFIED, HE SAID.

IN GENEVA HE WILL BE DISCUSSING WITH MR. PETER TSAO, MINISTER FOR HONG KONG AFFAIRS, THE LATEST POSITION ON THE SAFEGUARDS CODE IN THE MULTI-LATERAL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS.

MR. MILLS IS EXPECTED TO BE AWAY FOR THREE WEEKS.

NT RESTAURANT LICENCE FEES TO GO UP

*****

LICENCE FEES FOR LARGE RESTAURANTS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES ARE TO BE RAISED WITH EFFECT FROM TOMORROW (FRIDAY) WHEN THE FOOD BUSINESS (NEW TERRITORIES) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS 1979 IS PUBLISHED IN THE GOVERNMENT GAZETTE.

UNDER THE