XN000022-1985-05-07 — Page 13

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TUESDAY, MAY 7, 1985

+IN THE LATTER CASE, BOTH MEMBERS MUST BE LIVING IN A

SURVEYED DOMESTIC STRUCTURE AND HAVE LIVED IN HONG KONG FOR 10 YEARS.

+OTHER TWO-MEMBER FAMILIES ARE INITIALLY QUALIFIED FOR TEMPORARY HOUSING EITHER IN THE URBAN AREA OR IN THE NEW TERRITORIES ACCORDING TO THEIR ELIGIBILITY.

+URBAN THA UNITS ARE ALLOCATED TO THOSE WHO LIVE IN A SURVEYED DOMESTIC STRUCTURE IN EXISTENCE BEFORE JUNE 1, 1982.+

TO THOSE ENTITLED TO PUBLIC HOUSING AND URBAN THAS, TWO OTHER OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE.

THEY CAN COLLECT AN EX-GRATI A CASH ALLOWANCE IN EXCHANGE FOR REHOUSING, OR PURCHASE HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME FLATS WITH GREEN-FORM STATUS PROVIDED THEY HAVE LIVED IN HONG KONG FOR AT LEAST SEVEN YEARS.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY TWO-MEMBER HOUSEHOLDS WISHING TO GET PERMANENT PUBLIC HOUSING MIGHT NOW APPLY ON THE GENERAL WAITING LIST UNDER REVISED ALLOCATION POLICIES,

Γ

+HOWEVER, PRIORITY IN THE ALLOCATION OF PUBLIC HOUSING IS BEING GIVEN TO THOSE TWO-MEMBER FAMILIES WHO LIVE IN TEMPORARY HOUSING AREAS OR IN MARK 1/11 ESTATES AFFECTED BY REDEVELOPMENT.+

RETAIL SALES FROM 1981 TO 1984

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THE VALUE INDEX OF TOTAL RETAIL SALES SHOWED A STEADY RISING TREND WHILE THE VOLUME INDEX REMAINED RELATIVELY STABLE, ACCORDING TO A REVIEW OF MONTHLY RETAIL SALES FOR THE YEARS 1981 TO 1984 RELEASED TODAY BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT,

THE MOVEMENTS OF BOTH THE VALUE AND THE VOLUME INDEXES OF TOTAL RETAIL SALES FROM JANUARY 1981 TO DECEMBER 1984, WITH AVERAGE MONTHLY RETAIL SALES IN 1980 TAKEN AS 100, ARE SHOWN IN CHART 1. IN THE YEARS COVERED, BOTH THE VALUE AND THE VOLUME INDEXES OF TOTAL RETAIL SALES SHOWED SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES IN THE MONTHS OF DECEMBER AND JANUARY AND SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN FEBRUARY. THIS WAS LARGELY DUE TO THE SEASONAL INFLUENCES OF CHRISTMAS AND THE LUNAR NEW YEAR,

INDEX MOVEMENTS OF MAJOR TRADE GROUPS ARE SHOWN IN CHART 2.

SEASONAL PATTERNS OF MOVEMENTS IN THE VALUE INDEXES WERE EXPERIENCED BY THE FIVE MAJOR TRADE GROUPS, WITH SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES IN DECEMBER AND JANUARY AND DRASTIC DROPS IN FEBRUARY.

WHILE THE