XN000022-1990-07-16 — Page 3

MONDAY, JULY 16, 1990

2

"WE ARE VERY CLOSK NEIGHBOURS AND WHAT ONE DOES AFFECTS THE OTHER," THE GOVERNOR SAID.

T+

WHEN ASKED TO COMMENT ON THE NEW AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT IN MACAU, SIR DAVID SAID: "I SEE THE AIRPORT IN MACAU AS SOMETHING WHICH IS VERY MUCH COMPLEMENTARY TO HONG KONG, NOT IN ANY WAY A THREAT TO HONG KONG'S DEVELOPMENT PLANS.

P

HE DID NOT THINK THE EARLY COMPLETION OF THE MACAU AIRPORT WOULD DO ANY DAMAGE AT ALL TO HONG KONG'S PLANS.

SIR DAVID ADDED THAT THE ONE THING BOTH SIDES MUST WORK OUT TOGETHER WOULD BE HOW TO DEAL WITH AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL BECAUSE OF THE RELATIVELY CLOSE PROXIMITY OF THE TWO AIRPORTS.

THE MACAU GOVERNOR ARRIVED THIS MORNING AND HELD A DISCUSSION WITH SIR DAVID IN THE GOVERNMENT HOUSE ON MATTERS OF MUTUAL INTEREST.

IN THE AFTERNOON, DR MELANCJA VISITED MODERN TERMINALS LIMITED IN KWAI CHUNG ΤΟ SKE THE FACILITIES THERE. HE LATER FLEW BY HELICOPTER TO CHER LAP KOK WHERE HE WAS BRIEFED ON THE PORT AND AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT.

-

WAGE INDEXES FOR MARCH PUBLISHED

THE OVERALL NOMINAL WAGE INDEX FOR MARCH 1990, AT 199,1, INCREASED BY 12.7 PER CENT WHEN COMPARED WITH MARCH 1989 AND BY 6.6 PER CENT WHEN COMPARED WITH SEPTEMBER 1989, ACCORDING TO STATISTICS PUBLISHED TODAY (MONDAY) BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

THE OVERALL HEAL WAGE INDEX, AT 115.2 IN MARCH 1990, WAS 2.4 PER CENT HIGHER THAN THAT IN MARCH 1989 AND 2.5 PER CENT HIGHER THAN THAT IN SEPTEMBER 1989.

IN

WHILE THE NOMINAL WAGE INDEX MEASURES CHANGES IN WAGE RATES MONEY TERMS, THE REAL WAGE INDEX, WHICH IS OBTAINED BY DEFLATING THE NOMINAL WAGE INDEX BY THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (A), MEASURES CHANGES IN THE PURCHASING POWER OF THE WAGES RECEIVED.

IN MARCH 1990, THE YEAR-ON-YEAR RATE OF INCREASE OF THE NOMINAL WAGE INDEX FOR THE WHOLESALE/RETAIL, IMPORT/EXPORT TRADES, RESTAURANTS AND HOTELS SECTOR WAS 11.2 PER CENT, AND FOR THE BUSINESS SERVICES SECTOR WAS 16.7 PER CENT.

WHEN COMPARING MARCH 1990 WITH SEPTEMBER 1989, IT IS NOTED THAT THE NOMINAL WAGE INDEX WAS HIGHER BY 3.4 PER CENT IN THE TRANSPORT SERVICES SECTOR, AND BY 8.5 PER CENT IN THE BUSINESS SERVICES SECTOR.

THE NOMINAL