XN000022-1984-08-20 — Page 10

MONDAY, AURISA -v, 1904

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THE INDEX FOR SERVICES ROSE BY 2.7 POINTS IN CPI(A) AND 2.0 POINTS IN CPI(B), REFLECTING THE FULL IMPACT OF THE RISE IN ADMISSION CHARGES FOR CINEMAS AND HIGHER FEES CHARGED FOR PASSPORTS, CERTIFICATES OF IDENTITY AND RE-ENTRY PERMITS.

PRICE MOVEMENTS IN OTHER SECTIONS WERE INSIGNIFICANT.

(FIGURES PRESENTED IN THIS PRESS RELEASE REFER TO CPI SERIES NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED. ALL PERCENTAGE CHANGES ARE DERIVED FROM CPI FIGURES TO 2 DECIMAL PLACES.)

DETAILS OF THESE PRICE MOVEMENTS ARE GIVEN IN THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX REPORT+ FOR JULY 1984, AVAILABLE AT $3 A COPY FROM THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE, GENERAL POST OFFICE BUILDING, GROUND FLOOR, CONNAUGHT PLACE, HONG KONG, OR FROM THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT, ROOM 1904, 19TH FLOOR, KAI TAK COMMERCIAL BUILDING, 317 DES VOEUX ROAD CENTRAL, HONG KONG.

THE REPORT IS ALSO AVAILABLE FROM THE DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION SERVICES. INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT, BEACONSF IELD HOUSE, HONG KONG FOR LOCAL AND OVERSEAS MAILINGS. FURTHER DETAILS ABOUT THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEXES MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT AT TELEPHONE 3-7216512.

PROPOSAL GOING LONG WAY TOWARD MEETING SCALE OF INCREASE

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IN A LETTER TO THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CONTAINER TRACTOR OWNERS' ASSOCIATION. MR L.H. KWAN, THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY (MONDAY) THAT THE LATEST TRAILER LICENCE FEES PROPOSAL BY THE DEPARTMENT GOES MOST OF THE WAY TOWARDS MEETING THE SCALE OF INCREASE WHICH THE CONTAINER VEHICLE OWNERS THEMSELVES PROPOSED.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SAID THAT THE DEPARTMENT'S PROPOSAL WOULD MEAN THAT SOME TRAILER OWNERS MIGHT PAY $150 LESS THAN AT PRESENT, BUT EACH OWNER WOULD PAY ACCORDING TO THE CARRYING CAPACITY OF HIS OWN VEHICLES.

+MOST OWNERS WOULD PROBABLY PAY BETWEEN $450 AND $600 MORE THAN AT PRESENT. THE AVERAGE INCREASE WOULD BE ABOUT 61 PER CENT. SO IT IS APPARENT THAT THE DEPARTMENT'S PROPOSAL NOT ONLY SECURES TRAILER OWNERS A MUCH LOWER INCREASE THAN WAS FIRST MOOTED BUT IT ALSO ACHIEVES A FAIR MEANS OF CHARGING IN RESPECT OF GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT, UNDER THE REVISED PROPOSAL THE ANNUAL LICENCE FEES FOR THE MOST COMMON TYPES OF CONTAINER TRAILERS WILL AVERAGE ABOUT 1 3).

+THE DEPARTMENT URGES THE CONTAINER VEHICLE OWNERS TO RECONSIDER THE DEPARTMENT'S PROPOSAL AS TO THE TRAILER LICENCE FEE. OFFICIALS OF THE DEPARTMENT ARE AVAILABLE AT ANY TIME FOR DETAILEJ DISCUSSION AND EXPLANATION, HE SAID.

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