XN000022-1992-11-27 — Page 24

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27,

1992

AND

"YOU WILL BE INTERESTED TO KNOW THAT INVESTMENT IN PLANT MACHINERY INCREASED BY 17 PER CENT AND LABOUR PRODUCTIVITY BY 11 PER CENT LAST YEAR.

"THUS NOTWITHSTANDING THE CHANGES TO HONG KONG'S ECONOMIC STRUCTURE WHICH HAS BEEN A REDUCED SHARE OF MANUFACTURING TO THE GDP, THE ACTUAL VOLUME OF INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT HAS NOT DECLINED AND THERE STILL EXISTS A VERY STRONG INDUSTRIAL BASE IN HONG KONG, HE SAID.

279 RETURN TO VIETNAM

*

A GROUP OF 279 VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS RETURNED HOME TODAY (FRIDAY) UNDER THE UNHCR VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION PROGRAMME, BRINGING THE TOTAL NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS RETURNED THIS MONTH TO 1.477.

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT THE FIGURE FOR ONE MONTH HAS SURPASSED THE 1,400 MARK AND IS ALSO THE HIGHEST IN ONE SINGLE MONTH SINCE THE PROGRAMME STARTED.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THIS WAS A VERY ENCOURAGING TREND WHICH INDICATED THAT MORE AND MORE VIETNEMESE MIGRANTS WERE REALISING THAT THEIR ONLY FUTURE WAS TO START A NEW LIFE BACK HOME.

"UNHCR'S ASSISTANCE IN COUNSELLING MIGRANTS IN THE CAMPS AND IN MONITORING THE WELL-BEING OF RETURNEES ARE MAJOR FACTORS FOR THE SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAMME, THE SPOKESMAN ADDED.

TODAY'S FLIGHT WAS THE SIXTH THIS MONTH AND THE 136TH SINCE THE PROGRAMME STARTED IN MARCH 1989. THE 279 RETURNEES COMPRISED 110 MEN, 75 WOMEN, 51 BOYS AND 43 GIRLS.

THIS GROUP BROUGHT TO 11,395 THE TOTAL NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS WHO HAVE RETURNED VOLUNTARILY THIS YEAR, AND TO 25,375 THE TOTAL NUMBER OF RETURNEES SINCE THE PROGRAMME STARTED.

CHRISTMAS MAIL ARRANGEMENTS

HO.

ANNOUNCED TODAY

THE ACTING POSTMASTER GENERAL, MRS DORIS (FRIDAY) THAT THE LATEST DATE FOR POSTING CHRISTMAS CARDS FOR LOCAL DELIVERY BEFORE CHRISTMAS IS DECEMBER 19 (SATURDAY).

POSTINGS AFTER THIS DATE MIGHT RUN THE RISK OF NOT BEING

DELIVERED IN TIME BECAUSE OF ANTICIPATED PRESSURES.

SHE ADVISED MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO POST AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE TO AVOID A LAST-MINUTE RUSH.

/MRS HO

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