XN000022-1993-05-10 — Page 4

MONDAY, MAY 10, 1993

MARINE DIRECTOR RECEIVES BRIDGE ACCIDENT REPORT

IN

ACCIDENT

RESPONSE ΤΟ MEDIA REPORTS AND ENQUIRIES CONCERNING AN NEAR TSING YI NORTH BRIDGE YESTERDAY, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE MARINE DEPARTMENT THIS (MONDAY) MORNING REITERATED THAT A SINGAPORE- REGISTERED TANKER DID NOT MAKE CONTACT WITH TSING YI NORTH BRIDGE.

SHE ONLY LIGHTLY TOUCHED THE PROTECTIVE BREAKWATER IN FRONT OF THE BRIDGE, HE SAID.

A REPORT ON THE ACCIDENT WAS SUBMITTED TO THE DIRECTOR MARINE, MR ALLAN PYRKE THIS MORNING,

OF

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SHORTLY AFTER 4 PM YESTERDAY (SUNDAY) THE STERN OF THE 497 TONNE TANKER "MERLION" LIGHTLY CONTACTED THE UNDERWATER PART OF THE BREAKWATER WHILE SHE WAS BERTHING AT AN OIL DEPOT ON NORTH TSING YI.

THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED DURING A STRONG WIND AND RAINSTORM. NO INJURY WAS REPORTED AND THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE VESSEL NOR THE BREAKWATER.

THIS ACCIDENT CONFIRMS THE ADVANTAGE OF THE BREAKWATER WHICH J DESIGNED TO PROTECT THE BRIDGE STRUCTURE.

0

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GDP FOR FOURTH QUARTER OF 1992 ON RISE

HONG KONG'S GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT (GDP) GREW BY 5.1% IN REAL IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF LAST YEAR OVER THE SAME QUARTER IN ACCORDING TO THE PRELIMINARY ESTIMATES RELEASED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT TODAY (MONDAY).

TERMS 1991,

IN

AMONG THE MAIN COMPONENTS OF THE GDP ESTIMATES, GROSS DOMESTIC FIXED CAPITAL FORMATION GREW SIGNIFICANTLY BY 10.7% IN REAL TERMS THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 1992 OVER THE SAME QUARTER IN 1991.

WITHIN THIS COMPONENT, EXPENDITURE ON MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT SHOWED A REMARKABLE INCREASE OF 27.5%. EXPENDITURE ON CONSTRUCTION ALSO RECOVERED TO RECORD A POSITIVE GROWTH OF 8.6% IN THE FOURTH QUARTER.

ON THE SAME BASIS OF COMPARISON, THE GROWTH RATE IN REAL TERMS FOR PRIVATE CONSUMPTION EXPENDITURE WAS 7%, WHILE THAT FOR GOVERNMENT CONSUMPTION EXPENDITURK (DEFINED IN NATIONAL ACCOUNTS TERMS) WAS 7,6%.

GREW

REGARDING EXTERNAL TRADE IN GOODS, RE-EXPORTS SUBSTANTIALLY BY 25.3% IN REAL TERMS IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 1992 THE SAME QUARTER IN 1991, WHILE DOMESTIC EXPORTS DECLINED BY

THE CORRESPONDING GROWTH RATE FOR IMPORTS OF GOODS WAS 22.9%.

OVER 1.5%.

AS

REGARDS EXPORTS OF SERVICES, THE GROWTH RATE IN REAL. TERMS

THE CORRESPONDING GROWTH RATE FOR IMPORTS OF SERVICES

WAS

WAS 10.4%. 4.2%.

/THE IMPLICIT