XN000022-1987-02-16 — Page 5

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1987

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ACCORDING TO THE DEPARTMENT, THE SURVEY RESULTS, OBTAINED WITH A MINIMUM TIME LAG, ARE INTENDED TO PROVIDE A SOURCE OF REFERENCE FOR QUICK ASSESSMENT OF THE CURRENT ECONOMIC SITUATION IN 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 PRECEDING QUARTER. FOR THE FORTHCOMING QUARTER, THEY WERE ALSO ASKED TO INDICATE WHETHER THE SITUATION WOULD IMPROVE, REMAIN THE SAME OR DETERIORATE.

THE BALANCE OF OPINIONS OF RESPONDENTS WERE TABULATED AND ANALYSED. THE SURVEY REPORT CONTAINS A SECTION ON THE BUSINESS PROBLEMS EXPERIENCED AND EXPECTED BY FIRMS IN DIFFERENT ECONOMIC SECTORS AND A BREAKDOWN OF THE VIEWS OF FIRMS BY SIZE GROUPS.

THE DEPARTMENT CAUTIONED THAT, IN A SURVEY OF THIS NATURE, RESULTS SHOULD BE INTERPRETED WITH CARE AS IT IS 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. MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC MAY OBTAIN COPIES FROM THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS SALES CENTRE, GENERAL POST OFFICE BUILDING, AT $3 PER COPY.

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

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AIRPORT ADOPTING NEW MONEY CHANGING SYSTEM

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A NEW SYSTEM WILL BE INTRODUCED AT THE HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT MONEY CHANGING CONCESSIONS FROM MARCH 15 TO OFFER MORE EQUITABLE EXCHANGE RATES TO CUSTOMERS.

FOLLOWING A RECENT TENDER EXERCISE, LARK INTERNATIONAL FINANCE LTD., WHICH IS A SUBSIDIARY OF DEAK INTERNATIONAL INCORPORATED, HAS BEEN AWARDED A THREE-YEAR CONTRACT TO RUN THE SIX MONEY CHANGING BOOTHS IN THE PASSENGER TERMINAL BUILDING.

UNDER THE NEW SCHEME, A MONITOR WILL BE INSTALLED AT EACH MONEY CHANGING BOOTH AND THE EXCHANGE RATES OF THE 15 MOST POPULAR CURRENCIES WILL BE PUBLICLY DISPLAYED.

THE EXCHANGE