XN000022-1984-08-21 — Page 3

TUESDAY, AUGUST 1, 1984

ON THE OTHER HAND, THE OUTPUT VALUE OF PRIVATE PROJECTS HAD BEEN IN GENERAL DECLINING GRADUALLY SINCE THE START OF THE SURVEY. THE OUTPUT VALUES IN THE FOUR QUARTERS OF 1983 WERE $3 062 MILLION, $2 674 MILLION, $2 611 MILLION, AND $2 631 MILLION RESPECTIVELY, FURTHER FALLING TO $2 549 MILLION IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1984.

THE SURVEY ALSO PROVIDES STATISTICS ON OUTPUT VALUES IN RESPECT OF END-USE OF BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES. RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS, COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS AND TRANSPORT STRUCTURES WERE THE MOST IMPORTANT CATEGORIES OF NEW CONSTRUCTION.

A SHARP DROP IN THE CONSTRUCTION OUTPUT VALUE OF COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS OCCURRED IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF 1983 AS OUTPUT SLIPPED FROM THE FIRST QUARTER BY 36 PER CENT TO $897 MILLION. QUARTERLY OUTPUT IN THE REST OF 1983 REMAINED AT A LOW LEVEL BUT THEN FELL FURTHER TO $692 MILLION IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1984.

AS FOR RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS, THE CONSTRUCTION OUTPUT VALUE SHOWED SOME INCREASE IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 1983 AND AGAIN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1984, WITH INCREASES OF EIGHT PER CENT AND FOUR PER CENT RESPECTIVELY FROM THE PRECEDING QUARTER ALTHOUGH, AT $1 334 MILLION IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1984, IT WAS STILL THREE PER CENT BELOW THAT IN THE SAME QUARTER OF 1983.

CONSTRUCT ION WORK ON TRANSPORT STRUCTURES AND FACILITIES REMAINED AT A RELATIVELY HIGH LEVEL IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1984 AT $1 340 MILLION WHICH WAS MORE OR LESS UNCHANGED FROM THE PREVIOUS QUARTER BUT 21 PER CENT HIGHER THAN THAT IN THE SAME QUARTER LAST YEAR.

INFORMATION IN GREATER DETAIL AND OTHER STATISTICS, SUCH AS VALUE OF WORK IN TERMS OF CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES LIKE ŠITE FORMATION AND ERECTION OF SUPER-STRUCTURES, AND VALUE OF WORK PERFORMED BY GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION, ARE CONTAINED IN A SURVEY REPORT. THE CURRENT ISSUE OF THIS REPORT COVERS RESULTS OF THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1983 TO THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1984. SUBSEQUENT ISSUES WILL BE PUBLISHED AT QUARTERLY INTERVALS TO UPDATE THE FIGURES.

THE SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED THAT THE QUARTERLY SERIES OF DATA WAS TO PROVIDE A QUICK INDICATOR ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY AND THIS SUPPLEMENTED THE SERIES OF ANNUAL SURVEYS WHICH PROVIDE MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ON THE PERFORMANCE, OPERATING CHARACTERISTICS AND COST STRUCTURE OF THE INDUSTRY.

THE SURVEY REPORT IS ON SALE AT $2 A COPY AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE, GENERAL POST OFFICE BUILDING, CONNAUGHT CENTRE, OR AT THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT PUBLICATIONS SALES COUNTER, KAI TAK COMMERCIAL BUILDING, 317 DES VOEUX ROAD CENTRAL. REGULAR SUBSCRIPTION MAY ALSO BE ARRANGED.

ENQUIRIES ABOUT THE SURVEY MAY BE DIRECTED TO THE DEPARTMENT'S BUILDING, CONSTRUCTION AND REAL ESTATE STATISTICS SECTION AT TELEPHONE 3-7224490.

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