XN000022-1993-05-13 — Page 27

THURSDAY, MAY 13, 1993

26

BUSINESS SURVEY RESULTS FOR FIRST QUARTER RELEASED

FIRMS FROM THE TRADES OF REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT AND RELATED SERVICES EXPERIENCED A BETTER THAN EXPECTED GENERAL BUSINESS SITUATION IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR. THIS WAS DUE TO A MORE ACTIVE PROPERTY MARKET IN THE QUARTER.

LOOKING AHEAD, THE FIRMS GENERALLY EXPECT THAT THE SITUATION IN THE FIRST QUARTER WILL CONTINUE IN THE FOLLOWING QUARTER.

MANUFACTURERS GENERALLY REPORTED THAT THE GENERAL BUSINESS SITUATION AND CAPACITY UTILISATION IN THE FIRST QUARTER DETERIORATED AS COMPARED WITH THE PRECEDING QUARTER.

THIS WAS,

HOWEVER, LARGELY SEASONAL AS THE FIRST QUARTER IS USUALLY A QUIET SEASON FOR MANUFACTURING ACTIVITIES DUE TO THE LUNAR NEW YEAR HOLIDAYS.

LOOKING AHEAD, MANUFACTURERS EXPECT A SEASONAL IMPROVEMENT IN BOTH ASPECTS IN THE SECOND QUARTER.

THESE ARE SOME OF THE MAJOR RESULTS OF THE QUARTERLY BUSINESS SURVEY RELEASED TODAY (THURSDAY) BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

PRICE COMPETITION FROM BOTH LOCAL AND OVERSEAS COMPETITORS REMAINED THE BUSINESS PROBLEM MOST CITED BY THE MANUFACTURERS AND WILL CONTINUE ΤΟ WORRY THEM IN THE FOLLOWING QUARTER.

FURTHERMORE, THE PROBLEM OF HIGH WAGE RATES WAS ALSO WIDELY

REPORTED.

FOR INDIVIDUAL MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES, THE WEARING APPAREL INDUSTRY EXPERIENCED SEASONAL DETERIORATION IN BOTH THE GENERAL BUSINESS SITUATION AND CAPACITY UTILISATION DURING THE FIRST QUARTER.

ALSO THE PRESSURES OF KEEN PRICE COMPETITION AND HIGH LABOUR TURNOVER INTENSIFIED IN THE QUARTER.

LOOKING AHEAD, MANUFACTURERS GENERALLY EXPECT A SEASONAL IMPROVEMENT IN THE BUSINESS SITUATION IN THE FOLLOWING QUARTER.

THE

MANUFACTURERS FROM THE TEXTILES INDUSTRY REPORTED THAT GENERAL BUSINESS SITUATION AND CAPACITY UTILISATION ALSO DETERIORATED IN THE QUARTER. THEY WERE TROUBLED BY INSUFFICIENT BUSINESS ORDERS AND KEEN PRICE COMPETITION.

BOTH THE GENERAL BUSINESS SITUATION AND CAPACITY UTILISATION OF THE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY CONTINUED TO IMPROVE IN THE QUARTER, WITH EARLIER

EXPECTATION,

PRICE COMPETITION REMAINED KEEN IN THE THOSE FROM OVERSEAS COMPETITORS. SHORTAGE OF INTENSIFIED A LITTLE IN THE QUARTER.

IN LINE

QUARTER, SKILLED

PARTICULARLY

LABOUR ALSO

/THE GENERAL