XN000022-1992-11-13 — Page 6

Lin

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13,

1992

OF

FORM

THE ISSUE OF A WARNING LETTER IS ADOPTED AS AN ALTERNATE PUNISHMENT FOR AN AUTHORISED SELLER OF POISONS AFTER ANY DISCIPLINARY INQUIRY.

THE DATES FOR THE VARIOUS FORMS OF PUNISHMENT WILL TAKE EFFECT FROM EITHER AFTER THE EXPIRY OF THE TIME LIMITED FOR

APPEAL OR AFTER THE APPEAL TO THE HIGH COURT IS DETERMINED OR WITHDRAWN.

THE BILL WILL BE INTRODUCED INTO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON VEMBER 25.

NOVE

THIRD QUARTER BUSINESS SURVEY RESULTS RELEASED

IMPROVED GENERAL

MANUFACTURERS GENERALLY EXPERIENCED AN BUSINESS SITUATION AND CAPACITY UTILISATION IN THE THIRD QUARTER THIS YEAR, MAINLY BECAUSE OF A SEASONAL INCREASE IN ORDERS FOR CHRISTMAS SALES.

LOOKING AHEAD, THEY EXPECT A SLIGHT FURTHER IMPROVEMENT IN THE FOLLOWING QUARTER. THESE ARE SOME OF THE MAJOR RESULTS OF THE QUARTERLY BUSINESS SURVEY RELEASED TODAY (FRIDAY) BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

LOCAL

PRICE COMPETITION REMAINED THE MOST CITED BUSINESS PROBLEM BY MANUFACTURERS. SHORTAGE OF SKILLED LABOUR AND HIGH WAGE RATES WERE ALSO WIDELY REPORTED. MANUFACTURERS GENERALLY EXPECT THESE PROBLEMS TO REMAIN IN THE FOLLOWING QUARTER.

APPAREL BUSINESS

FOR INDIVIDUAL MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES, THE WEARING INDUSTRY EXPERIENCED SLIGHT IMPROVEMENT IN THE GENERAL SITUATION AND FAIRLY THE SAME CAPACITY UTILISATION AS WAS IN THE PREVIOUS QUARTER.

LOOKING AHEAD, THESE MANUFACTURERS EXPECT IMPROVEMENT IN BOTH RESPECTS IN THE FOLLOWING QUARTER, AS THEY WOULD LIKELY MAKE USE OF THE QUOTA IN HAND BY THE END OF THE YEAR.

NEVERTHELESS, PRICE COMPETITION FROM SOUTHERN CHINA AND SOUTH EASTERN ASIAN COUNTRIES WOULD STILL BE KEEN.

WHILE THE PROBLEM OF INSUFFICIENT ORVERS AND KEEN PRICE COMPETITION WERE WIDELY REPORTED IN THE TEXTILES INDUSTRY, MANUFACTURERS IN THE INDUSTRY EXPERIENCED A MARGINALLY IMPROVED GENERAL BUSINESS SITUATION AND EXPECT THE SITUATION TO REMAIN THE SAME IN THE FOLLOWING QUARTER.

THE GENERAL BUSINESS SITUATION AND CAPACITY UTILISATION FOR THE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY IMPROVED IN THE THIRD QUARTER, THOUGH NOT AS MUCH AS PREVIOUSLY EXPECTED.

T+

/LOOKING AHEAD,