XN000022-1984-11-22 — Page 6

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1984

FOR THE NON-MANUFACTURING SECTOR, PRICE COMPETITION WAS STILL CONSIDERED AS THE PREDOMINANT PROBLEM BY FIRMS IN THE *WHOLESALE, RETAIL AND IMPORT-EXPORT TRADES', 'BUSINESS SERVICES", 'TRANSPORTATION' AND 'RESTAURANTS BUSINESSES FOR THE THIRD AND FOURTH QUARTERS,

AS REGARDS FIRMS IN THE HOTEL BUSINESS, ALTHOUGH PRICE COMPETITION WAS ALSO A MAJOR PROBLEM IN THE THIRD QUARTER, THE PROMINENCE OF THIS PROBLEM IS EXPECTED TO DECLINE IN THE FOURTH QUARTER.

MOREOVER, INSUFFICIENT BUSINESS WAS THE MAJOR PROBLEM EXPERIENCED BY FIRMS IN THE 'RESTAURANTS' BUSINESS. HOWEVER, THIS PROBLEM IS EXPECTED TO EASE OFF IN THE FOURTH QUARTER.

THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE SURVEY RESULTS, OBTAINED WITH A MINIMUM TIME LAG, WERE BASICALLY INTENDED TO PROVIDE ONE SOURCE OF REFERENCE FOR MAKING A QUICK ASSESSMENT OF THE CURRENT ECONOMIC SITUATION OF HONG KONG, PARTICIPATING FIRMS HAD BEEN ASKED TO INDICATE WHETHER, IN THE IR OPINION, THE GENERAL BUSINESS SITUATION AND LEVEL OF CAPACITY UTILISATION HAD IMPROVED' 'REMAINED THE SAME OR 'DETERIORATED' IN THE QUARTER JUST ENDED AS COMPARED WITH THE QUARTER BEFORE THAT.

FOR THE FORTHCOMING QUARTER, THEY HAD ALSO ASKED TO INDICATE WHETHER THE SITUATION WOULD IMPROVE', 'REMAIN THE SAME OR 'DETERIORATE'.

THE BALANCE OF OPINIONS OF RESPONDENTS WERE TABULATED AND ANALYSED. THE SURVEY REPORT ALSO CONTAINS A SECTION ON BUSINESS PROBLEMS EXPERIENCED AND EXPECTED BY FIRMS IN DIFFERENT ECONOMIC SECTORS AND A BREAKDOWN OF VIEWS OF FIRMS BY SIZE GROUPS.

THE SPOKESMAN CAUTIONED THAT FOR A SURVEY OF THIS NATURE, THE RESULTS SHOULD BE INTERPRETED WITH CARE AS IT WAS DIFFICULT TO ESTABLISH PRECISELY THE EXTENT TO WHICH RESPONDENTS' PERCEPTION OF THE PAST AND THE FUTURE ACCORDED WITH THE UNDERLYING TRENDS.

THE REPORT, CONTAINING AN ANALYSIS OF THE SURVEY FIND I NGS AND STATISTICAL TABLES, HAS BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO FIRMS TAKING PART IN THE SURVEY AND TO OTHER BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS. IT MAY BE BOUGHT FROM THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE, GENERAL POST OFFICE BUILDING, AT $3.

FURTHER DETAILS ON THE QUARTERLY BUSINESS SURVEY MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE NATIONAL INCOME BRANCH OF THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT AT 5-423401.

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