XN000022-1986-12-31 — Page 4

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1986

ABOUT HALF THE HOUSEHOLDS INTERVIEWED THREE MONTHS AGO WILL BE SURVEYED AGAIN TO MEASURE MORE ACCURATELY THE CHANGES THAT HAVE OCCURRED SINCE.

SOME 5 000 HOUSEHOLDS ARE SELECTED AT RANDOM EACH MONTH FROM ALL DISTRICTS FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE SURVEY.

AN OFFICIAL LETTER, IN ENGLISH AND CHINESE, HAS BEEN SENT TO SAMPLED HOUSEHOLDS TO EXPLAIN THE PURPOSE OF THE SURVEY AND TO SEEK THEIR COOPERATION,

ASSISTANT CENSUS AND SURVEY OFFICERS, EACH CARRYING AN IDENTITY CARD ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT, WILL VISIT THESE HOUSEHOLDS TO COLLECT THE INFORMATION.

INFORMATION COLLECTED WILL BE TREATED CONFIDENTIALLY AND WILL NOT BE REVEALED TO ANY PERSON OR ORGANISATION OUTSIDE THE DEPARTMENT.

MONETARY STATISTICS FOR NOVEMBER RELEASED

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STATISTICS PUBLISHED TODAY BY THE MONETARY AFFAIRS BRANCH SHOWED CONTINUING BUT SOMEWHAT SLOWER GROWTH IN HONG KONG DOLLAR DEPOSITS AND HONG KONG DOLLAR MONEY SUPPLY IN NOVEMBER.

FOREIGN CURRENCY DEPOSITS ALSO CONTINUED TO GROW IN NOVEMBER, BUT AT A SLOWER RATE THAN IN PREVIOUS MONTHS.

TOTAL LOANS AND ADVANCES EXTENDED BY BANKS AND DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES BREW MARGINALLY IN NOVEMBER. BUT GROWTH IN LOANS TO FINANCE HONG KONG'S VISIBLE TRADE FELL.

TABLE 1, WHICH HAS BEEN SENT BY FACSIMILE NETWORK AND ALSO BOXED FOR COLLECTION, SETS OUT SUMMARY FIGURES FOR NOVEMBER 1986 AND COMPARISONS WITH EARLIER MONTHS.

DEPOSITS

IN NOVEMBER, HONG KONG DOLLAR DEMAND DEPOSITS INCREASED BY 2.4 PER CENT AFTER A RAPID INCREASE OF 7.1 PER CENT IN OCTOBER. SAVINGS AND TIME DEPOSITS ALSO INCREASED, BY 1.2 PER CENT AND 0.9 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY.

/TOTAL HONG