XN000022-1985-05-15 — Page 42

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 1985

THE OUTPUT VALUE OF COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS IN THE FOURTH

QUARTER OF 1984 WAS 2.6 PER CENT HIGHER AT $596 MILLION THAN IN THE PREVIOUS QUARTER, BUT WAS STILL 31.1 PER CENT LESS THAN FOR THE SAME QUARTER IN 1983.

THE OUTPUT VALUE OF COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS WAS RELATIVELY LOW THROUGHOUT 1984, WITH AN ANNUAL TOTAL OF $2 621 MILLION, IT WAS ONLY ABOUT TWO-THIRDS OF THE TOTAL 1983 VALUE.

THE RECOVERY IN THE CONSTRUCTION VALUE OF INDUSTRIAL AND STORAGE BUILDINGS THAT STARTED IN THE THIRD QUARTER OF 1984 CONTINUED IN THE FOURTH QUARTER TO $270 MILLION, AN INCREASE OF 10.2 PER CENT OVER THE PRECEDING QUARTER BUT A DECLINE OF 9.4 PER CENT OVER THE SAME QUARTER IN 1983.

COMPARING BOTH YEARS, THE CONSTRUCTION VALUE OF INDUSTRIAL AND STORAGE BUILDINGS WAS DOWN 25.1 PER CENT.

DURING THE SAME QUARTER, THE OUTPUT OF TRANSPORT FACILITIES DROPPED TO $903 MILLION. THIS WAS A DROP OF 11.6 PER CENT FROM THE PREVIOUS QUARTER AND 33.1 PER CENT DOWN FROM THE SAME QUARTER IN 1983. THIS WAS MAINLY DUE TO THE DECLINE IN THE CONSTRUCTION VALUE FOR A NUMBER OF MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY PROJECTS FOR THE ISLAND LINE.

THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT SURVEY IS PRIMARILY AIMED AT DEPICTING THE QUARTERLY CHANGES IN CONSTRUCTION OUTPUT. ANNUAL ESTIMATES MAY BE DERIVED BY SUMMING UP FIGURES RELEASED FOR EACH QUARTER, BUT THESE ESTIMATES SHOULD BE TREATED AS PROVISIONAL FIGURES ONLY.

THE DEPARTMENT ALSO PUBLISHES ANOTHER SERIES OF ANNUAL SURVEY RESULTS WHICH ARE SUBJECT TO SMALLER ERRORS BY VIRTUE OF A LARGER SAMPLING SIZE.

THE QUARTERLY SURVEY REPORT, AT $2 A COPY, MAY BE PURCHASED AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS SALES 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.

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

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