XN000022-1983-10-19 — Page 5

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1983

TRANSPORT SERVICES SURVEY CARRIED OUT

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PROVISIONAL RESULTS OF THE 1981 SURVEY OF TRANSPORT AND RELATED SERVICES WERE RELEASED TODAY BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

THIS SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED FROM APRIL 1982 TO MARCH 1983 WITH THE AIM OF COLLECTING INFORMATION ON THE STRUCTURE AND OPERATING CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TRANSPORT SECTOR IN 1981 SO AS TO ASSESS THE SECTOR'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE ECONOMY'S OUTPUT, AND TO ANALYSE ANY CHANGES SINCE 1980, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID.

DATA COLLECTED IN THE SURVEY INCLUDED TYPE OF OWNERSHIP TYPE OF BUSINESS ACTIVITY, NUMBER OF PERSONS ENGAGED INCLUDING NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES IN HONG KONG OFFICES AND NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES WORKING ON BOARD SHIPS (FOR SHIPOWNERS AND SHIP OPERATORS), COMPENSATION OF EMPLOYEES, OTHER OPERATING EXPENSES, INCOME AND RECEIPTS, CAPITAL EXPENDITURE AND CAPITAL STOCK.

THE PROVISIONAL RESULTS INDICATED THAT 33 215 TRANSPORT ESTABLISHMENTS WERE IN OPERATION FOR THE WHOLE OR PART OF 1981. ENGAGING A TOTAL OF 124 208 PERSONS, REPRESENTING INCREASES OF 17 PER CENT IN TERMS OF ESTABLISHMENTS AND SIX PER CENT IN TERMS OF PERSONS ENGAGED OVER 1980.

IN 1981, THE TOTAL INCOME AND RECEIPTS OF THESE ESTABLISHMENTS WERE ESTIMATED TO BE $31 309 MILLION, UP BY 33 PER CENT OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR. THEY SPENT $4 017 MILLION ON COMPENSATION OF EMPLOYEES (AN INCREASE OF 26 PER CENT) AND $23 302 MILLION ON OTHER OPERATING EXPENSES (AN INCREASE OF 29 PER CENT). THEIR GROSS ADDITIONS TO FIXED ASSETS (BEING ACQUISITION OF FIXED ASSETS LESS PROCEEDS FROM RESALES OF FIXED ASSETS), WHICH WERE WORTH $5 021 MILLION, SHOWED A DECREASE OF EIGHT PER CENT. THE IR TOTAL BOOK VALUE OF FIXED ASSETS AS AT THE END OF 1981 AMOUNTED TO $20 849 MILLION.

THE LARGEST INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PERSONS ENGAGED WAS RECORDED IN SUPPORTING SERVICES TO LAND TRANSPORT+ AT 19 PER CENT, FOLLOWED BY +SERVICES INCIDENTAL TO TRANSPORT+ AT 10 PER CENT AND +LAND FREIGHT TRANSPORT+ AT NINE PER CENT. ON THE OTHER HAND, +SUPPORTING SERVICES TO WATER TRANSPORT+ SHOWED A DECLINE OF SIX PER CENT.

+SUPPORTING SERVICES TO LAND TRANSPORT+ ALSO HAD THE LARGEST INCREASE IN COMPENSATION OF EMPLOYEES AT 43 PER CENT. OTHER MAJOR TRANSPORT GROUPS WITH SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN COMPENSATION OF EMPLOYEES WERE +LAND FREIGHT TRANSPORT+ AT 36 PER CENT, +OCEAN AND COASTAL WATER TRANSPORT+ AT 31 PER CENT AND +SERVICES INCIDENTAL TO TRANSPORT+ AT 30 PER CENT.

IN TERMS OF INCOME AND RECEIPTS, MAJOR TRANSPORT GROUPS WITH SIGNIFICANT GROWTH BETWEEN 1980 AND 1981 WERE +AIR TRANSPORT+ (39 PER CENT), +SERVICES INCIDENTAL TO TRANSPORT+ (36 PER CENT) AND +OCEAN AND COASTAL WATER TRANSPORT+ (33 PER CENT). THE OPERATING EXPENSES OF THESE MAJOR GROUPS ALSO ROSE CONSIDERABLY BY 31 PER CENT, 35 PER CENT AND 33 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY.

/ON GROSS