XN000022-1981-02-17 — Page 5

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1981

4

$14M SHA TIN CONTRACT SIGNED

******

THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT TODAY (TUESDAY) AWARDED A $14 MILLION CONTRACT TO TRULY CONSTRUCTION COMPANY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS AND DRAINAGE IN HUNG MUI KUK, SHA TIN NEW TOWN.

THE CONTRACT WAS SIGNED BY MR K.K. TANG, CHIEF ENGINEER OF THE SHA TIN NEW TOWN DEVELOPMENT OFFICE AND A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COMPANY.

WORK WILL INCLUDE THE CONSTRUCTION OF ABOUT ONE KILOMETRE OF DISTRIBUTOR ROADS WITH ASSOCIATED DRAINS AND SEWERS, FOOTPATHS, A PEDESTRIAN AND CYCLIST SUBWAY AND AN ACCESS ROAD FROM TIN SAM NULLAH ROAD.

ON COMPLETION, THE ROADS WILL PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE AREA WHERE RESIDENTIAL BLOCKS WILL BE DEVELOPED TO HOUSE ABOUT 2 000 PEOPLE AND A PRIVATE HOSPITAL WITH 600 BEDS IS PLANNED.

THE PROJECT, WHICH FORMS PART OF STAGE 1 OF THE NEW TOWN DEVELOPMENT, WILL TAKE ABOUT 12 MONTHS TO COMPLETE.

THE WORKS HAVE BEEN DESIGNED AND CONSTRUCTION WILL BE SUPERVISED BY MAUNSELL CONSULTANTS ASIA, CONSULTING ENGINEERS FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.

SURVEY ON RETAIL TRENDS

*****

THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT IS CONDUCTING A MONTHLY SURVEY TO PROVIDE ESTIMATES OF THE LEVELS AND TRENDS OF RETAIL SALES.

THE INFORMATION COLLECTED WILL SERVE AS AN INDICATOR OF CURRENT ECONOMIC TRENDS GENERALLY AND OF CONSUMER SPENDING IN PARTICULAR.

QUESTIONNAIRES WERE SENT TO SOME 1 000 RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS SELECTED ON A SAMPLE BASIS TO SOLICIT MONTHLY SALES FIGURES FOR JANUARY 1981.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY RESPONDENTS WERE REQUESTED TO COMPLETE AND RETURN THE QUESTIONNAIRES TO THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT ON OR BEFORE FEBRUARY 28,

HE ALSO APPEALED TO MANAGEMENTS OF THE SELECTED ESTABLISHMENTS FOR THEIR CO-OPERATION IN RETURNING THE COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRES PROMPTLY.

+ALL INFORMATION SUPPLIED BY INDIVIDUAL ESTABLISHMENTS WILL BE TREATED IN THE STRICTEST CONFIDENCE, AND ONLY AGGREGATE INFORMATION WHICH DOES NOT REVEAL THE DETAILS OF ANY INDIVIDUAL ESTABLISHMENT, WILL BE PUBLISHED, HE SAID.

ES ALLISHMENTS