XN000022-1982-03-22 — Page 3

MONDAY, MARCH 22, 1982

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY (MONDAY) THAT THE BOARD HAD STRESSED THAT ACADEMIC EDUCATIONS ALONE WOULD NOT RESULT IN THE COMPLETE MANAGER, SUPERVISOR, OR CLERK. EMPLOYERS MUST PROVIDE THE NECESSARY TRAINING FOR THEIR STAFF, EITHER INTERNALLY WITHIN THE IR ESTABLISHMENTS OR BY SPONSORING THEM TO ATTEND EXTERNAL POST-EXPERIENCE COURSES.

THE BOARD FURTHER SUGGESTED THAT THERE SHOULD BE A CLOSER LINK BETWEEN THE WHOLESALE AND RETAIL AND IMPORT AND EXPORT TRADES AND TEACHING INSTITUTIONS SO THAT EMPLOYERS COULD CONTRIBUTE TO THE DESIGN OF COURSE SYLLABUSES TO ENSURE THAT THEY WERE APPLICABLE TO THE REAL WORLD.

THIS WOULD ALSO BRING ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS TO GAIN PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE IN THE TRADES.

OTHER MAJOR RECOMMENDATIONS, INCLUDED THE NEED FOR EMPLOYERS TO SET UP GROUP-TRAINING SCHEMES IN TRAINING CENTRES FOR SALES AND CLERICAL STAFF AND TO TRAIN TRAINING STAFF IN INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNIQUES, AS WELL AS THE NEED FOR HAVING PROPER JOB ANALYSIS AND SPECIFICATIONS.

CONSUMER PRICE INDEXES FOR FEBRUARY

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THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT REPORTED TODAY (MONDAY) THAT THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (A) AND THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (B) FOR FEBRUARY 1982 WERE 127 AND 126 RESPECTIVELY.

COMPARED WITH THE PRECEDING MONTH, CPI (A) INCREASED BY TWO POINTS OR 1.6 PER CENT AND CPI (B) BY ONE POINT OR 0.8 PER CENT.

COMPARED WITH THE SAME MONTH IN 1981, CPI (A) INCREASED BY 15 POINTS OR 13.4 PER CENT AND CPI (B) BY 14 POINTS OR 12.5 PER CENT.

DURING FEBRUARY, INCREASES IN FOOD PRICES, ESPECIALLY THOSE OF FRESH VEGETABLES AND MEALS BOUGHT IN RESTAURANTS, WERE OFFSET TO SOME EXTENT BY A REDUCTION IN HAIRDRESSING CHARGES AFTER THE LUNAR NEW YEAR AND BY LOWER CHARGES FOR PACKAGE TOURS.

THE CPI (A) AND CPI (B) ARE BASED ON THE EXPENDITURE PATTERNS OF 50 PER CENT AND 30 PER CENT, RESPECTIVELY, OF URBAN HOUSEHOLDS IN HONG KONG, WHICH WERE DERIVED FROM THE 1979/80 HOUSEHOLD EXPENDITURE SURVEY. AT THAT TIME, THE CPI (A) REFERRED TO HOUSEHOLDS SPENDING BETWEEN $1 000 AND $3 499 A MONTH AND THE CPI (B) TO HOUSEHOLDS SPENDING BETWEEN $3 500 AND $6 499 A MONTH.

THE INDEXES FOR FEBRUARY 1982 IN RESPECT OF THE NINE COMMODITY/ SERVICE SECTIONS IN THE TWO CONSUMER PRICE INDEXES ARE GIVEN BELOW, TOGETHER WITH THOSE FOR JANUARY 1982 AND FEBRUARY 1981.

/(OCTOBER 1979