XN000022-1984-09-18 — Page 9

8

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1984

HOUSEHOLD EXPENDITURE SURVEY TO START NEXT MONTH

***

A HOUSEHOLD EXPENDITURE SURVEY TO UPDATE THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (CPI) IN HONG KONG WILL BE CONDUCTED FROM NEXT MONTH (OCTOBER).

ANNOUNCING THIS AT A PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY (TUESDAY), THE COMMISSIONER FOR CENSUS AND STATISTICS, MR COLIN GREENFIELD SAID, + IT IS GOVERNMENT'S POLICY TO REVISE THE CPI'S EVERY FEW YEARS TO ENSURE THAT THEY REFLECT REALISTICALLY THE CURRENT SITUATION.+

THE LAST REVISION WAS MADE IN 1979-80,

MR GREENFIELD EXPLAINED THAT THE CPI WAS THE MAIN MEASURE USED IN HONG KONG TO INDICATE CHANGES IN THE LEVEL OF PRICES MOST CONSUMERS PAY FOR THE GOODS AND SERVICES THAY BUY. THE SIMPLEST WAY OF INTERPRETING THE INDEX IS TO IMAGINE A FIXED BASKET OF GOODS AND SERVICES USUALLY BOUGHT BY THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD IN A PARTICULAR EXPENDITURE GROUP.

+WITH THE PASSAGE OF TIME, NEW PRODUCTS AND SERVICES MAY APPEAR IN THE MARKET AND OLD ONES DISAPPEAR, AND CHANGES MAY OCCUR IN THE CONSUMERS' INCOMES AND TASTES, AND IN THE RELATIVE PRICES OF GOODS AND SERVICES. HENCE THE FIXED BASKET MAY BECOME OUT OF DATE AND MAY NOT BE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CURRENT CONSUMPTION PATTERN,+ HE SAID.

THE PROJECT WILL TAKE ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF TO COMPLETE, AND THE NEW PRICE SERIES IS EXPECTED TO BE READY FOR PUBLICATION AROUND APRIL 1986.

THE SURVEY WILL BE CONDUCTED OVER A PERIOD OF 12 MONTHS FROM OCTOBER 1984 TO SEPTEMBER 1985. A SAMPLE OF LIVING QUARTERS HAS BEEN RANDOMLY SELECTED FROM ALL LIVING QUARTERS IN THE URBAN AREAS OF HONG KONG, KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES, AND ALL HOUSEHOLDS WITHIN THE SELECTED LIVING QUARTERS WILL BE ASKED TO TAKE PART IN THE SURVEY FOR A PERIOD OF TWO WEEKS.

THE SURVEY IS EXPECTED TO INCLUDE SOME 5 000 HOUSEHOLDS.

LETTERS HAVE BEEN SENT TO THE FIRST GROUP OF SELECTED HOUSEHOLDS, REQUESTING THEM TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SURVEY. SIMILAR LETTERS WILL BE SENT EVERY OTHER WEEK TO THE REMAINING GROUPS THROUGHOUT THE NEXT 12 MONTHS.

ABOUT ONE WEEK AFTER THESE LETTERS HAVE BEEN DESPATCHED, OFFICERS OF THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT AND OF THE HANG SENG BANK WILL CALL ON THE SELECTED HOUSEHOLDS TO EXPLAIN TO THEM WHAT INFORMATION IS REQUIRED. THESE OFFICERS WILL CARRY IDENTITY CARDS ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OR THE BANK.

MEMBERS OF THE SELECTED HOUSEHOLDS WILL BE ASKED TO KEEP A DAILY RECORD OF THEIR EXPENDITURE FOR TWO CONSECUTIVE WEEKS AND TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ON OTHER HOUSEHOLD PARTICULARS.

/+THE QUESTIONNAIRES