XN000022-1984-11-30 — Page 10

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1984

THE PAPER PUTS FORWARD FOR COMMENT TWO OPTIONS AIMED AT DISCOURAGING SPECULATIVE TRADING IN QUOTAS AND AT SPEEDING UP THE MOVEMENT OF QUOTAS FROM THE HANDS OF THOSE WHO ARE NO LONGER ABLE TO USE THEM TO THOSE WHO ARE. THESE OPTIONS ARE LIKELY TO HAVE FAR-REACHING EFFECTS.

THE CONSULTATIVE PAPER HAS BEEN PREPARED ON THE ADVICE OF THE TEXTILES ADVISORY BOARD, WHICH FELT THAT THE VIEWS OF TRADE, INTERESTED TRADE ORGANISATIONS AND THOSE OF CONCERNED INDIVIDUALS SHOULD BE SOUGHT BEFORE THE OPTIONS ARE CONSIDERED IN DETAIL.

THE SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED THAT THE RECENTLY ANNOUNCED MEASURE TO PLUG THE LOOPHOLE OF +BACK-TO-BACK+ PERMANENT TRANSFER IS PART OF THE PACKAGE TO IMPROVE THE QUOTA TRANSFER SYSTEM. IT COMPLEMENTS THE OPTIONS DISCUSSED IN THE CONSULTATIVE PAPER.

SEPTEMBER RETAIL SALES SURVEY RESULTS RELEASED

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THE VALUE OF RETAIL SALES IN SEPTEMBER 1984, ESTIMATED AT $5 524 MILLION, WAS 11 PER CENT HIGHER THAN IN SEPTEMBER 1983, WHILE THEIR VOLUME WAS FOUR PER CENT HIGHER, ACCORDING TO PROVISIONAL SURVEY RESULTS RELEASED TODAY BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

RETAIL SALES FOR THE PERIOD JULY-SEPTEMBER 1984, WHEN COMPARED WITH SALES FOR THE SAME PERIOD IN 1983, ROSE BY 15 PER CENT IN VALUE AND FIVE PER CENT IN VOLUME.

A COMPARISON OF SEPTEMBER 1984 WITH AUGUST 1984 SALES, AND BEARING IN MIND THAT THIS COMPARISON IS AFFECTED BY SEASONAL FACTORS, SHOWS THE VALUE OF SALES INCREASED BY TWO PER CENT AND THE IR VOLUME BY ONE PER CENT.

IN SEPTEMBER 1984, RETAIL SALES OF CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALLIED PRODUCTS INCREASED BY 32 PER CENT IN VALUE AND 19 PER CENT IN VOLUME WHEN COMPARED WITH SEPTEMBER 1983.

OVER THE SAME PERIOD, CONSUMER DURABLES RECORDED AN INCREASE OF 16 PER CENT IN SALES VALUE AND SEVEN PER CENT IN SALES VOLUME.

RETAIL SALES OF FOODSTUFFS, ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND TOBACCO ROSE BY 11 PER CENT IN VALUE AND FOUR PER CENT IN VOLUME,

OTHER CONSUMER GOODS AND FUELS RECORDED SMALLER INCREASES IN SALES VALUE, AT SIX PER CENT AND THREE PER CENT RESPECTIVELY, BUT NO CHANGE ÎN SALES VOLUME.

COMPARING THE PERIOD JULY-SEPTEMBER 1984 WITH THE SAME PERIOD IN 1983, RETAIL SALES OF CLOTHING, FOOTWEAR AND ALL FED PRODUCTS RECORDED THE LARGEST INCREASES IN BOTH VALUE AND VOLUME TERMS, AT 25 PER CENT AND 11 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY.

/IN TERMS

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