XN000022-1983-02-09 — Page 4

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1983

AS FOR RESTAURANTS, PROBLEMS OF INCREASING PROMINENCE WERE HIGH STAFF TURNOVER, PRICE COMPETITION AND INSUFFICIENT BUSINESS.

RESPONDENTS IN THE HOTELS BUSINESS CONTINUED TO INDICATE PRICE COMPETITION AS THEIR MAJOR PROBLEM FOR BOTH QUARTERS.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE SURVEY RESULTS, OBTAINED WITH A MINIMUM TIME LAG, WERE BASICALLY INTENDED TO PROVIDE ONE SOURCE OF REFERENCE FOR MAKING A QUICK ASSESSMENT OF THE CURRENT ECONOMIC SITUATION OF HONG KONG.

PARTICIPATING FIRMS WERE ASKED TO INDICATE WHETHER IN THEIR OPINIONS, THE GENERAL BUSINESS SITUATION AND LEVEL OF CAPACITY UTILISATION HAD IMPROVED, REMAINED THE SAME OR DETERIORATED IN THE IMMEDIATE PAST QUARTER AS COMPARED WITH THE QUARTER BEFORE. THE FORTHCOMING QUARTER THEY WERE ASKED TO INDICATE WHETHER THE SITUATION WOULD IMPROVE, REMAIN THE SAME OR DETERIORATE.

THE BALANCE OF OPINIONS OF RESPONDENTS WAS TABULATED AND

ANALYSED.

FOR

THE SURVEY REPORT ALSO CONTAINS A SECTION ON BUSINESS PROBLEMS EXPERIENCED AND EXPECTED BY FIRMS IN DIFFERENT ECONOMIC SECTORS AND A BREAKDOWN OF VIEWS OF FIRMS BY SIZE GROUPS,

THE DEPARTMENT CAUTIONED THAT FOR A SURVEY OF THIS NATURE THE RESULTS SHOULD BE INTERPRETED WITH CARE AS IT WAS DIFFICULT TO ESTABLISH PRECISELY THE EXTENT TO WHICH RESPONDENTS' PERCEPTION OF THE PAST AND THE FUTURE ACCORDS WITH THE UNDERLYING TRENDS.

COPIES OF THE REPORT, CONTAINING AN ANALYSIS OF THE SURVEY FINDINGS AND STATISTICAL TABLES, HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO FIRMS TAKING PART IN THE SURVEY AND TO OTHER BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS.

COPIES MAY BE PURCHASED FROM THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS SALES CENTRE, GENERAL POST OFFICE BUILDING, AT $3 EACH.

FURTHER DETAILS ON THE QUARTERLY BUSINESS SURVEY MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE NATIONAL INCOME BRANCH OF THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT. (TEL. NO. 5-423401)

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