XN000022-1985-05-20 — Page 9

NL

Y 27, 1985

8

HIGH STAFF COSTS WAS REGARDED AS A MAJOR PROBLEM BY SOME BANKS IN THE FIRST AND SECOND QUARTERS.

THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT 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.

IN THE SURVEY, PARTICIPATING FIRMS WERE ASKED TO INDICATE WHETHER, IN THEIR 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 WERE ALSO ASKED TO INDICATE WHETHER THE SITUATION WILL 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 THE DEPARTMENT CAUTIONED THAT IN A SURVEY OF THIS NATURE 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 ACCORDS WITH THE UNDERLYING TRENDS.

COPIES OF THE REPORT, CONTAINING AN ANALYSIS OF THE SURVEY FINDINGS AND STATISTICAL TABLES, HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO FIRMS TAKING PART IN THE SURVEY AND TO OTHER BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS. THE PUBLIC MAY OBTAIN COPIES FROM THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS SALES CENTRE, GENERAL POST OFFICE BUILDING, AT $3 A COPY.

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

PLAN TO EASE CAUSEWAY BAY PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC

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A MAJOR PEDESTRIAN AND TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SCHEME WILL BE INTRODUCED IN CAUSEWAY BAY TO COPE WITH THE EXPECTED INCREASE IN THE DISTRICT'S PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC WHEN THE MTR ISLAND LINE BECOMES OPERATIONAL AT THE END OF THIS MONTH.

THIS WAS ANNOUNCED BY MR JIM COWIE, CHIEF ENGINEER, TRAFFIC ENGINEERING HONG KONG DIVISION, OF THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT, A PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY (MONDAY).

AT

/THE SCHEME,