XN000022-1982-10-05 — Page 4

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1982

BUT HE ADDED THAT HONG KONG COULD NOT IGNORE THE CHALLENGES PRESENTED BY THIS TREND.

IN MARCH 1981, PEOPLE AGED 60 OR OVER ACCOUNTED FOR 10 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL POPULATION. THE PERCENTAGE IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO NEARLY 12 PER CENT OVER THE NEXT DECADE AND TO ABOUT 13 PER CENT BY THE EARLY 1990'S.

MR ALLEYNE CONCEDED THAT HONG KONG IS NOT THE EASIEST PLACE IN THE WORLD TO DEVELOP WELFARE SERVICES FOR ANY GROUP IN THE COMMUNITY AND THE ELDERLY FACE PARTICULAR PROBLEMS IN THE CROWDED, FAST-MOVING AND OFTEN IMPERSONAL LIVING CONDITIONS OF THIS CITY+.

+WHAT IS IMPORTANT AND WHAT I SINCERELY BELIEVE THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT, VOLUNTARY AGENCIES AND THE GOVERNMENT, AS A WHOLE, ARE ENDEAVOURING TO DO IS TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEMS AND TO FORMULATE SOLUTIONS, HE ADDED.

PRICE AND VOLUME MOVEMENTS OF EXTERNAL TRADE FOR JULY 1982

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PRICES OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS ROSE BY SEVEN PER CENT AND THOSE OF IMPORTS BY FOUR PER CENT IN JULY 1982, AS COMPARED WITH JULY 1981, ACCORDING TO STATISTICS RELEASED TODAY BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

AS A RESULT, THE TERMS OF TRADE INDEX (EXPRESSED AS A RATIO OF THE DOMESTIC EXPORT PRICE INDEX TO THE IMPORT PRICE INDEX) ROSE BY THREE PER CENT.

THE VOLUMES OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS AND IMPORTS DROPPED BY TWO PER CENT AND THREE PER CENT RESPECTIVELY.

PRICES OF RE-EXPORTS INCREASED BY 11 PER CENT WITH THE VOLUME DOWN BY FOUR PER CENT, SO THAT FOR TOTAL EXPORTS, PRICES WERE UP BY EIGHT PER CENT AND A DECREASE BY THREE PER CENT WAS RECORDED FOR THE VOLUME.

FOR THE 12-MONTH PERIOD TO JULY 1982 AS COMPARED WITH THE 12 MONTHS TO JULY 1981, THE PRICES OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS, IMPORTS AND RE-EXPORTS ROSE BY NINE PER CENT, 10 PER CENT AND 11 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY.

THE VOLUME OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS EXPANDED BY THREE PER CENT AND THAT OF RE-EXPORTS BY SIX PER CENT, GIVING A FOUR PER CENT INCREASE IN THE VOLUME OF TOTAL EXPORTS AS AGAINST AN INSIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE VOLUME OF IMPORTS.

PRICES ARE BASED ON UNIT VALUES WHICH DO NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT CHANGES IN THE COMPOSITION OR QUALITY OF GOODS TRADED. CHANGES IN THE VOLUME OF TRADE ARE DERIVED FROM CHANGES IN TRADE VALUES, AFTER DISCOUNTING THE EFFECT OF PRICE CHANGES.

/THE CHANGES ...