XN000022-1989-02-16 — Page 6

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1989

5

THE BASE OF THE INDEX IS THE YEAR 1986. IN OTHER WORDS, THE INDEX WAS 100 IN 1986.

INDUSTRIES SHOWING THE LARGEST INCREASES IN PRODUCTION IN THE THIRD QUARTER OF 1988 OVER THE SAME QUARTER IN 1987 WERE # PROFESSIONAL AND SCIENTIFIC EQUIPMENT, PHOTOGRAPHIC AND OPTICAL GOODS, WATCHES AND CLOCKS (+33.7 PER CENT); MACHINERY, EXCEPT ELECTRICAL (+27.0 PER CENT); PAPER AND PAPER PRODUCTS (+26.5 PER CENT); TOBACCO (+22.7 PER CENT); AND CHEMICALS AND CHEMICAL PRODUCTS (+20.6 PER CENT).

ON THE OTHER HAND, THE FOLLOWING INDUSTRIES REPORTED A DECREASE IN PRODUCTION COMPARED WITH THE THIRD QUARTER OF 1987 : PLASTIC PRODUCTS (-9.2 PER CENT); WOOD AND CORK PRODUCTS, AND FURNITURE AND FIXTURES (EXCEPT PRIMARILY OF METAL) (-7.4 PER CENT); AND TEXTILES (INCLUDING KNITTING) (-2.4 PER CENT).

COMPARING THE INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION IN THE THIRD QUARTER OF 1988 WITH THAT IN THE PRECEDING QUARTER, MOST MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES SURVEYED REPORTED INCREASES IN PRODUCTION,

THE LARGEST INCREASES WERE RECORDED IN THE FOLLOWING INDUSTRIES: RUBBER PRODUCTS (+28.3 PER CENT); MACHINERY, EXCEPT ELECTRICAL (+16.0 PER CENT); TEXTILES (INCLUDING KNITTING) (+16.9 PER CENT); BEVERAGE (+15,6 PER CENT}} AND LEATHER PRODUCTS AND FOOTWEAR (EXCEPT RUBBER, PLASTIC AND WOODEN FOOTWEAR) (+15.4 PER CENT).

IN RELEASING THESE FIGURES, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT EXPLAINED THAT THE INDEX OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION IS PRIMARILY INTENDED TO REFLECT THE LEVELS AND TRENDS OF LOCAL MANUFACTURING OUTPUT IN REAL TERMS.

IN OTHER WORDS, THE VOLUME OF LOCAL PRODUCTION IS MEASURED AFTER DISCOUNTING THE EFFECT OF PRICE CHANGES.

A TABLE SHOWING CHANGES IN THE INDEXES OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION IN GREATER DETAIL IS ATTACHED.

"I

MORE DETAILED INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND IN THE 'REPORT ON THE QUARTERLY INDEX OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION, 3RD QUARTER 1988", WHICH IS ON SALE AT $3 A COPY AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE, GPO BUILDING, CONNAUGHT PLACE OR AT THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT PUBLICATIONS SALES COUNTER, 19TH FLOOR, WANCHAI TOWER 1, 12 HARBOUR ROAD, WAN CHAI.

REGULAR SUBSCRIPTION MAY ALSO BE ARRANGED.

FURTHER ENQUIRIES ABOUT THE SURVEY MAY BE DIRECTED TO THE INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH SECTION OF THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT at TELEPHONE NUMBER 5-8234832.

/INDEXES OF