XN000022-1985-05-18 — Page 7

SATURDAY, MAY 18, 1985

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SEMINAR ON AIR FREIGHT TRANSPORT SAFETY

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SOME 60 AIR FREIGHT TRANSPORT PERSONNEL WILL ATTEND A SEMINAR ON INDUSTRIAL SAFETY ORGANISED BY THE TRANSPORT AND PHYSICAL DISTRIBUTION TRAINING BOARD OF THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL ON MONDAY (MAY 20).

SPONSORED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF HONG KONG AIR FREIGHT AGENTS, THE SEMINAR IS TO PROMOTE INDUSTRIAL SAFETY IN CARGO HANDLING AND TRANSPORTATION.

EXPERTS ON INDUSTRIAL SAFETY, COMMUNITY MEDICINE AND AIR FREIGHT TRANSPORT WILL SPEAK ON ACCIDENT PREVENTION, HEALTH HAZARDS IN CONNECTION WITH CARGO HANDLING AND PREVENTION FROM NJURIES AND SAFETY IN CARGO OPERATIONS.

FOURTH QUARTER INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION INDEX RELEASED

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THE INDEX OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 1984, AT 143.7, WAS 18 POINTS OR 14.6 PER CENT HIGHER THAN THAT IN THE SAME QUARTER OF 1983, ACCORDING TO FIGURES RELEASED TODAY BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

COMPARED WITH THE THIRD QUARTER OF 1984, AND BEARING IN MIND THAT THIS COMPARISON MAY BE AFFECTED BY SEASONAL FACTORS, THERE WAS A MARGINAL DECREASE OF 0.6 PER CENT.

WITHIN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR, THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY SHOWED THE MOST SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN PRODUCTION, BY 68.1 PER CENT OVER THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 1983 AND 50.1 PER CENT OVER THE PREVIOUS QUARTER. MOST OF THE PRODUCTION WAS FOR EXPORTS TO CHINA.

OTHER INDUSTRIES WITH INCREASES IN PRODUCTION OVER THE SAME QUARTER A YEAR EARLIER INCLUDED PLASTIC PRODUCTS (+58.5 PER CENT), CONSUMER ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS (+44.7 PER CENT), TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT (+25.9 PER CENT), FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS (+21.9 PER CENT), AND NEWSPAPER PRINTING (+20.4 PER CENT).

HOWEVER, SEVERAL INDUSTRIES REPORTED SIGNIFICANT DECLINES IN PRODUCTION ON THE SAME BASIS OF COMPARISON, INCLUDING LEATHER PRODUCTS (-24.5 PER CENT), PROFESSIONAL AND SCIENTIFIC EQUIPMENT (-20 PER CENT), ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PARTS, ACCESSORIES AND MACHINERY (-15.4 PER CENT), AND FOOD (-11.9 PER CENT).

/BESIDES TOBACCO,