XN000022-1988-04-30 — Page 5

SATURDAY, APRIL 30, 1988

1.2 PER INCREASE

LOANS TO FINANCE VISIBLE TRADE OF HONG KONG GREW BY CENT IN MARCH AFTER A DROP OF 0.1 PER CENT IN JANUARY AND AN OF 1.7 PER CENT IN FEBRUARY; OVER THE YEAR, THESE LOANS GREW BY 15.6 PER CENT.

OTHER LOANS FOR USE IN HONG KONG ROSE BY 0.8 PER CENT IN MARCH, AFTER INCREASES OF 1.3 PER CENT AND 1.2 PER CENT IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY RESPECTIVELY; OVER THE YEAR, THESE LOANS GREW BY 24.3 PER CENT.

IN

LOANS FOR USE OUTSIDE HONG KONG INCREASED BY 2. 1 PER CENT MARCH AFTER DECREASES OF 0.6 PER CENT AND 2.4 PER CENT IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY RESPECTIVELY; OVER THE YEAR, THESE LOANS GREW BY 79.6 PER CENT.

QUARTERLY ANALYSIS OF LOANS AND ADVANCES FOR USE IN HONG KONG BY SECTOR

IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1988, LOANS AND ADVANCES EXTENDED ΤΟ THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR ROSE BY 6.6 PER CENT, AFTER AN INCREASE OF 6.6 PER CENT IN THE PREVIOUS QUARTER. OVER THE YEAR, THESE LOANS GREW BY 21.2 PER CENT.

LOANS TO THE WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADES INCREASED BY 1.9 PER CENT THIS QUARTER, FOLLOWING AN INCREASE OF 10.5 PER CENT IN THE FOURTH QUARTER LAST YEAR. OVER THE YEAR, THESE LOANS GREW BY 31.2 PER CENT.

THE GROWTH IN LOANS TO THE BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION SECTOR PICKED UP SLIGHTLY TO 4.2 PER CENT IN THE FIRST QUARTER, FROM 3.5 PER CENT IN THE PRECEDING QUARTER. OVER THE YEAR, THESE LOANS INCREASED BY 11.9 PER CENT.

LOANS TO INDIVIDUALS FOR THE PURCHASE OF RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY (OTHER THAN FLATS IN THE HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME) GREW BY 6.7 PER CENT IN THE FIRST QUARTER, AFTER AN INCREASE OF 5.7 PER CENT IN THE PREVIOUS QUARTER. OVER THE YEAR, THESE LOANS GREW BY 31.9 PER CENT.

LOANS TO FINANCIAL CONCERNS AND TO STOCKBROKERS ROSE BY 6.1 PER CENT AND 3 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY IN THE FIRST QUARTER, COMPARED WITH RESPECTIVE DECLINES OF 3.3 PER CENT AND 51.9 PER CENT IN THE PRECEDING QUARTER. OVER THE YEAR, THE FORMER GREW BY

52.5 PER CENT WHILE THE LATTER DROPPED BY 25.5 PER CENT.

NUMBER OF REPORTING INSTITUTIONS

THE NUMBER OF REPORTING

LICENSED

BANKS,

LICENSED COMPANIES

DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES AND REGISTERED DEPOSIT-TAKING REMAINED UNCHANGED AT 155, 35 AND 231 RESPECTIVELY.

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