XN000022-1980-12-02 — Page 6

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1980

INCREASES IN THE ABSOLUTE VALUE OF IMPORTS OVER THE THIRD QUARTER OF 1979 WERE LARGEST WITH ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES ($823 MILLION), TEXTILES ($816 MILLION), PETROLEUM AND COAL PRODUCTS ($647 MILLION), PROFESSIONAL AND OPTICAL EQUIPMENT ($460 MILLION), AND METAL PRODUCTS ($452 MILLION).

IN PERCENTAGE TERMS, THE HIGHEST INCREASES WERE FOOTWEAR (68%), WEARING APPAREL (61%), PLASTIC PRODUCTS (47%), TOBACCO (42%), AND PETROLEUM AND COAL PRODUCTS (40%).

A DECREASE OF $619 MILLION (OR -53%) WAS RECORDED IN THE IMPORTS OF MINING AND QUARRYING PRODUCTS IN THE THIRD QUARTER OF 1980 COMPARED WITH THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR, WHILE IMPORTS OF BEVERAGES DECLINED BY $48 MILLION (OR -20%).

FURTHER DETAILS OF EXTERNAL TRADE STATISTICS RE-CLASSIFIED BY INDUSTRIAL ORIGIN MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION STATISTICS SECTION OF THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT (AT TEL. NO. 5-274203).

WATER SUPPLIES CHIEF OPENS SERVICE RESERVOIR

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THE DIRECTOR OF WATER SUPPLIES, MR WILLIAM TUCKER, TODAY OPENED THE NEWLY COMPLETED TUI MIN HOI SERVICE RESERVOIR BOOSTING THE CAPACITY OF WATER SUPPLY TO SAI KUNG TO 8 000 CUBIC METRES A DAY.

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY, HE SAID THE 1 200-CUBIC METRE RESERVOIR FORMED PART OF A SCHEME TO IMPROVE WATER SUPPLY TO SAI KUNG.

THE IMPROVEMENTS, INCLUDING THE DUPLICATION OF SECTIONS OF THE PRINCIPAL DISTRIBUTION MAIN FROM SAU MAU PING TO SAI KUNG SERVICE RESERVOIR, COST A TOTAL OF $6.5 MILLION,

MR TUCKER RECALLED THAT IT WAS NOT UNTIL 1971 THAT FULLY TREATED WATER WAS SUPPLIED TO SAI KUNG TOWN AND VILLAGES ALONG HIRAMS HIGHWAY.

THE ORIGINAL PROPOSALS ENVISAGED A SYSTEM WITH A CAPACITY OF 2 700 CUBIC METRES A DAY. HOWEVER, THE SUPPLY CAPACITY WAS INCREASED TO 5 900 CUBIC METRES A DAY IN 1973 AS A RESULT OF FURTHER DEMANDS.

TO MEET THE INCREASING NEEDS OF THE AREA, WORK IS PROCEEDING AT PAK KONG TO BUILD A DRAW-OFF TUNNEL AND ASSOCIATED PIPE WORK TO TAKE WATER FROM THE HIGH ISLAND TUNNEL SYSTEM.

+A FILTER PLANT AND PUMP HOUSE WILL ALSO BE BUILT TO INCREASE THE SUPPLY TO TWO AND A HALF TIMES THE PRESENT CAPACITY TO MEET THE ADDITIONAL DEMAND ARISING IN THE EXISTING SUPPLY AREAS IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS AND AT THE SAME TIME TO ALLOW FOR THE EXTENSION OF SUPPLIES TO A FURTHER 12 000 OF THE POPULATION, MR TUCKER SAID.

*WORK ON THIS $15M PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO BE SUFFICIENTLY COMPLETE BY 1982 TO PERMIT EXTENSIONS OF THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM AND PLANNING OF THESE EXTENSIONS IS NOW IN HAND.+

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