XN000022-1983-05-03 — Page 3

TUESDAY, MAY 3, 1983

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OTHER FACILITIES INCLUDE A BOAT SHED, TWO PAGODAS AND A SLIPWAY LEADING TO THE LAGOON.

THE CENTRE IS OPEN TO WATER SPORTS ENTHUSIASTS AND CAMPERS FROM SAI KUNG OUTDOOR RECREATION CENTRE AND THE LADY MACLEHOSE HOLIDAY VILLAGE IN PAK TAM.

IT IS ESTIMATED THAT SOME 12 000 DAY AND ABOUT 3 000 RESIDENTIAL CAMPERS WILL ENJOY THE CENTRE'S FACILITIES EVERY YEAR.

MARCH MONEY SUPPLY AND FINANCIAL STATISTICS

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THE MONEY SUPPLY AND FINANCIAL STATISTICS FOR MARCH 1983 ARE PUBLISHED TODAY.

DURING THE MONTH, TOTAL MONEY SUPPLY ON THE BROADER DEFINITIONS RECORDED SOME MODERATE INCREASE.

TOTAL M1, HOWEVER, FELL, WITH INCREASED CASH HOLDING BY THE PUBLIC AHEAD OF THE EASTER HOLIDAY MORE THAN OFFSET BY A FAIRLY SUBSTANTIAL DECREASE IN DEMAND DEPOSITS.

FOREIGN CURRENCY DEPOSITS INCREASED DURING THE MONTH WHILE HONG KONG DOLLAR DEPOSITS DECREASED.

THERE WAS STILL A MODEST SHIFT OF DEPOSITS FROM REGISTERED DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES TO LICENSED BANKS AND LICENSED DEPOSIT-

TAKING COMPANIES.

LOANS AND ADVANCES EXPERIENCED FURTHER GROWTH IN MARCH, ALTHOUGH, WITHIN THE TOTAL, LOANS TO FINANCE HONG KONG'S VISIBLE TRADE RECORDED A SLIGHT DECLINE.

TABLE 1 SETS OUT SUMMARY FIGURES FOR MARCH 1983 AND COMPARISONS WITH EARLIER MONTHS. TABLE 2 SETS OUT SOME FIGURES FROM THE QUARTERLY ANALYSIS OF LOANS AND ADVANCES FOR USE IN HONG KONG BY SECTOR.

HONG KONG DOLLAR MONEY SUPPLY

THE HK$ MONEY SUPPLY ON ALL DEFINITIONS DECLINED IN MARCH.

THE NARROWEST DEFINITION, HK$M1 FELL BY 2.5 PER CENT AFTER A RISE OF 1.1 PER CENT IN FEBRUARY.

THE BROADER DEFINITIONS, HK$M2 AND HK$M3, BOTH FELL BY A FURTHER 1.4 PER CENT, FOLLOWING FALLS OF 0.5 PER CENT IN FEBRUARY.

IN THE THREE MONTHS TO MARCH, HK$M1 GREW BY 3.4 PER CENT, HK$M2 BY 1 PER CENT BUT HK$M3 FELL BY 0.3 PER CENT. IN THE TWELVE MONTHS TO MARCH, THE CORRESPONDING GROWTH RATES WERE 15.5 PER CENT, 21.6 PER CENT AND 2.5 PER CENT.

/TOTAL MONEY