XN000022-1980-12-18 — Page 2

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1980

DIGEST OF STATISTICS FOR SEPTEMBER PUBLISHED

THE SEPTEMBER 1980

OF STATISTICS IS NOW ON

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ISSUE OF THE HONG KONG MONTHLY DIGEST SALE AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE

IN THE GPO BUILDING AT $14 A COPY.

THE ISSUE CONTAINS A REVIEW ARTICLE ANALYSING SOME SELECTED STRUCTURAL AND OPERATING RATIOS FOR HONG KONG'S WHOLESALE, RETAIL AND IMPORT/EXPORT TRADES, RESTAURANTS AND HOTELS.

SPECIAL REFERENCE IS MADE TO THOSE ESTABLISHMENTS ENGAGING 20 OR MORE PERSONS WHICH WERE IN OPERATION DURING THE ENUMERATION PERIOD OF THE 1977 CENSUS OF WHOLESALE, RETAIL AND IMPORT/EXPORT TRADES, RESTAURANTS AND HOTELS.

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THE ANALYSIS COMPARES THE DISTRIBUTIVE TRADES (WHOLESALE RETAIL AND IMPORT/EXPORT TRADES) AS A WHOLE WITH MANUFACTURING ESTABLISHMENTS OF SIMILAR EMPLOYMENT SIZE OPERATING IN 1978.

IN 1977, TOTAL SALES OF ESTABLISHMENTS ENGAGING 20 OR MORE PERSONS IN DISTRIBUTIVE TRADES AMOUNTED TO $47 884 MILLION WHEREAS TOTAL GROSS MANUFACTURING OUTPUT BY ESTABLISHMENTS OF SIMILAR SIZE

IN 1978 WAS $55 013 MILLION.

THE CONTRIBUTION TO THE GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT OF DISTRIBUTIVE TRADES WAS ABOUT ONE THIRD OF THAT OF THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR. OF $4 213 MILLION CONTRIBUTED TO THE GDP, IMPORT/EXPORT TRADE ACCOUNTED FOR THE LARGEST PROPORTION (68.6%).

THE NATIONAL ACCOUNTS VALUE ADDED CONTENT IN SALES FOR VARIOUS GROUPS OF TRADES, RESTAURANTS AND HOTELS RANGED FROM 3.1 PER CENT TO 55.2 PER CENT, WITH AN OVERALL AVERAGE OF 8.8 PER CENT FOR DISTRIBUTIVE TRADES, A RELATIVELY LOW FIGURE WHEN COMPARED WITH 28.3 PER CENT OBSERVED IN ALL MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES.

OF EVERY DOLLAR OF SALES IN DISTRIBUTIVE TRADES, ONLY 5.6 CENTS WENT TO PRIMARY FACTORS OF PRODUCTION, THAT IS, LABOUR COST, RENTAL AND INTEREST PAYMENTS AND DEPRECIATION OF FIXED ASSETS= COST OF GOODS SOLD HOWEVER CONSTITUTED THE LARGEST INPUT CONTENT AMOUNTING TO 86.1 CENTS.

IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR, 59.8 CENTS WERE SPEND ON CONSUMPTION OF MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES, AND 22.7 CENTS ON LABOUR, RENTAL AND DEPRECIATION OF FIXED ASSETS FOR EACH DOLLAR'S WORTH OF OUTPUT.

RESTAURANTS ENGAGING 20 OR MORE PERSONS EMPLOYED OVER 80 000 PERSONS IN 1977, MORE THAN THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PERSONS ENGAGED IN SIMILAR SIZE ESTABLISHMENTS IN ALL DISTRIBUTIVE TRADES.

LABOUR CONTENT FOR RESTAURANTS OUTPUT AT 25.4 PER CENT WAS THE HIGHEST AMONG WHOLESALE, RETAIL, IMPORT/EXPORT TRADES, RESTAURANTS AND HOTELS. ON THE OTHER HAND, HOTELS/BOARDING HOUSES HAD RELATIVELY HIGH INPUT CONTENTS OF RENTAL AND INTEREST PAYMENTS, AND DEPRECIATION OF FIXED ASSETS AT 9.3 PER CENT AND 4.6 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY.

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