XN000022-1986-05-02 — Page 15

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FRIDAY, MAY 2, 1986

THE COMMISSIONER EMPHASISED THAT INFORMATION RELATING TO INDIVIDUAL ESTABLISHMENTS WOULD BE TREATED IN STRICT CONFIDENCE AND WOULD ONLY BE USED IN AN AGGREGATE FORM FOR STATISTICAL PURPOSES.

HE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT AUDITED ACCOUNTS WERE NOT ESSENTIAL FOR PROVIDING INFORMATION RELATING TO INCOME AND EXPENDITURE. THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT ACCEPTS FIGURES BASED ON PRELIMINARY ACCOUNTS OR ESTIMATES WHICH ARE CORRECT TO THE BEST OF THE RESPONDENTS' KNOWLEDGE AT THE TIME OF SUBMISSION OF RETURNS. THIS APPROACH IS NECESSARY TO AVOID THE DELAY THAT WOULD OTHERWISE RESULT FROM WAITING FOR AUDITED ACCOUNTS.

JEWELLERY INDUSTRY NEEDS MORE SKILLED WORKERS

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THE JEWELLERY INDUSTRY'S WORKFORCE HAS GROWN FROM 5 600 IN 1983 TO ABOUT 7 200 IN 1985, REPRESENTING A SUBSTANTIAL ANNUAL INCREASE OF 13.6 PER CENT, ACCORDING TO THE FINDINGS OF A VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL SURVEY.

THE GROWTH WAS MAINLY THE RESULT OF REMARKABLE EXPORT PERFORMANCES IN THE UNITED STATES AND JAPAN, THE INDUSTRY'S TWO LARGEST OVERSEAS MARKETS, SAID A SPOKESMAN FOR THE COUNCIL'S JEWELLERY INDUSTRY TRAINING BORAD WHICH CONDUCTED THE SURVEY LAST JUNE.

COMMENTING ON THE DEVELOPMENTS OF THE INDUSTRY, HE SAID

OR HONG +CHINA MAY ALSO BECOME ANOTHER MAJOR EXPORT MARKET KONG'S JEWELLERY ITEMS FOLLOWING RECENT RELAXATION IN CHINA ON JEWELLERY OWNING,+

THE BOARD WAS ALSO OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE DOMESTIC MARKET.

HOWEVER, THE INDUSTRY HAD FELT INCREASING COMPETITION FROM NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES IN THE LOWER PRICE OF RANGE OF JEWELLERY IN WORLD MARKETS. SOME OF THESE COUNTRIES HAD THE ADVANTAGE OF A READY SUPPLY OF GEMSTONES AND LOWER LABOUR COST.

THE BOARD EXPECTED THE INDUSTRY TO CONTINUE TO GROW IN THE YEARS AHEAD BUT AT A MODERATE RATE.

THE FINDINGS OF THE SURVEY ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THE BOARD FORECAST THAT MANPOWER AT TECHNOLOGIST, TECHNICIAN AND CRAFT LEVELS SHOULD INCREASE EIGHT PER CENT, 4-1/2 PER CENT AND SEVEN PER CENT RESPECTIVELY,

THAT MEANT