XN000022-1982-07-15 — Page 8

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THURSDAY, JULY 15, 1982

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MOST COMMODITIES RE-EXPORTED THROUGH HONG KONG EXHIBITED STRONG GROWTH, THE MORE SIGNIFICANT ONES BEING CLOTHING (BY $275 MILLION OR 36 PER CENT), TEXTILES (BY $234 MILLION OR NINE PER CENT), AND ELECTRICAL MACHINERY APPARATUS AND APPLIANCES (BY $209 MILLION OR 19 PER CENT). DECREASES WERE REGISTERED IN THE RE-EXPORTS OF PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES AND OPTICAL GOODS, WATCHES AND CLOCKS (BY $92 MILLION OR SEVEN PER CENT), AND METALLIFEROUS ORES AND METAL SCRAP (BY $260 MILLION OR 62 PER CENT).

THE MAY 1982 ISSUE OF THE +HONG KONG TRADE STATISTICS - SUMMARY+ WILL SOON BE AVAILABLE AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE AT HK$5 A COPY.

A MORE COMPREHENSIVE REPORT, HONG KONG EXTERNAL TRADE+, WITH A DETAILED ANALYSIS OF IMPORTS, EXPORTS AND RE-EXPORTS IN MAY, WILL BE PUBLISHED IN EARLY AUGUST AND WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE, AT HK$10 A COPY.

ENQUIRIES CONCERNING SUBSCRIPTIONS TO THESE REPORTS MAY BE DIRECTED TO THE INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT AT BASKERVILLE HOUSE, HONG KONG (TEL. NO.: 5-214375).

MTR CHIEF LEAVING

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MR NORMAN THOMPSON, THE EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN OF THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY CORPORATION SINCE ITS FORMATION, HAS INFORMED THE GOVERNOR THAT HE INTENDS TO RETURN TO THE UNITED KINGDOM AT THE END OF HIS CURRENT CONTRACT, WHICH WILL EXPIRE IN MARCH 1983, AND THEREFORE HE HAS DECLINED WITH REGRET THE GOVERNMENT'S INVITATION TO ACCEPT A FURTHER CONTRACT.

ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNOR, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE, SAID TODAY THAT HE AND HIS COLLEAGUES WERE VERY SORRY TO LEARN THAT MR THOMPSON HAD DECIDED NOT TO STAY ON FOR A FURTHER PERIOD.

HE SAID MR THOMPSON HAD MADE A MOST IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION TO PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN HONG KONG THROUGH HIS LEADERSHIP AND CONTROL IN THE TREMENDOUS TASK OF CONSTRUCTING AND BRINGING INTO OPERATION THE MTR.

+MR THOMPSON WILL BE ABLE TO LOOK BACK ON HIS WORK IN HONG KONG WITH JUSTIFIABLE SATISFACTION AND PRIDE,+ HE SAID.

SIR PHILIP SAID THE PROCEDURE TO FIND A SUITABLE SUCCESSOR FOR MR THOMPSON IN THIS VERY IMPORTANT PUBLIC APPOINTMENT WOULD BEGIN SOON.