XN000022-1984-01-10 — Page 7

TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 1984

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COMPARED WITH SEPTEMBER 1982, INCREASES OF 9.1 PER CENT, 8.9 PER CENT AND 12.5 PER CENT WERE REGISTERED IN THE NOMINAL INDEX OF PAYROLL PER PERSON ENGAGED IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR, THE WHOLESALE AND RETAIL, IMPORT AND EXPORT, AND RESTAURANTS AND HOTELS SECTOR, AND THE FINANCE. INSURANCE, REAL ESTATE AND BUSINESS SERVICES SECTOR RESPECTIVELY. OVER THE SAME PERIOD, THE REAL INDEX OF PAYROLL PER PERSON ENGAGED SHOWED AN INCREASE OF 1.5 PER CENT IN THE FINANCE, INSURANCE, REAL ESTATE AND BUSINESS SERVICES SECTOR. ON THE OTHER HAND, SLIGHT DECREASES OF 1.4 PER CENT AND 1.6 PER CENT WERE REGISTERED IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR AND THE WHOLESALE AND RETAIL, IMPORT AND EXPORT, AND RESTAURANTS AND HOTELS SECTOR RESPECTIVELY,

(TABLES GIVING EMPLOYMENT FIGURES FOR SELECTED INDIVIDUAL INDUSTRIES WITHIN THE FOUR SECTORS ARE BEING TRANSMITTED BY FACSIMILE. THE TABLES MAY ALSO BE COLLECTED FROM THE GIS PRESS BOXES.)

FURTHER DETAILS MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE FOLLOWING OFFICERS OF THE EMPLOYMENT AND EARNINGS STATISTICS SECTION OF THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT: MR AU HOO-KIT ON 5-434185, MR NG KUNG- TAK ON 5-455661, AND MR CHIU FOOK-CHING ON 5-439398.

SHA TIN IS MOST AMBITIOUS NEW TOWN

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SHA TIN IS THE LARGEST AND MOST AMBITIOUS OF THE GOVERNMENT'S NEW TOWNS WITH THE PROVISION OF A BETTER ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH PEOPLE CAN LIVE AND WORK, SAID THE ACTING GOVERNOR, SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE, TODAY (TUESDAY).

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE NEWLY COMPLETED SHA TIN SPORTS GROUND, SIR PHILIP SAID SHA TIN IS A COMMUNITY WHICH IS LARGELY SELF-CONTAINED IN TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT, TRANSPORT AND WELFARE AND LEISURE FACILITIES.

+THE AIM OF OUR ARCHITECTS, ENGINEERS AND ADMINISTRATORS, IN OTHER WORDS, HAS BEEN TO BUILD TOWNS WITHIN WHICH A REAL SENSE OF COMMUNITY IDENTITY CAN DEVELOP, SIR PHILIP SAID.

ON LEISURE FACILITIES, HE SAID THE $25-MILLION SPORTS GROUND IS A FACILITY OF SPECIAL IMPORTANCE FOR SHA TIN FOR, IN COMMON WITH OTHER NEW TOWNS, IT HAS A VERY YOUNG POPULATION, WITH MORE THAN HALF THE RESIDENTS UNDER 30 YEARS OF AGE.

NOTING THAT SHA TIN HAD BEEN TRANSFORMED FROM A RURAL SETTLEMENT INTO A VIBRANT NEW TOWN AND A MODEL OF URBAN PLANNING WITHIN A SINGLE DECADE, SIR PHILIP SAID THE POPULATION OF THE NEW TOWN HAD GROWN FROM 30 000 TO AROUND 260 000.

+THIS GROWTH RATE WILL CONTINUE UNTIL COMPLETION OF THE TOWN IN THE MID-1990'S WHEN THE POPULATION WILL APPROACH 850 000, + HE ADDED.

/COMMENTING ON