XN000022-1993-06-26+27 — Page 9

SUNDAY, JUNE 27, 1993

HK PEOPLE CARE ABOUT THEIR APPEARANCE

NOT

ONLY ARE THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG HARD WORKING, THEY ARE

ALSO METICULOUS ABOUT THEIR APPEARANCE.

THIS IS THE COMMENT BY MRS PATTEN TODAY (SUNDAY).

"AND I AM NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT THE WOMEN SHE SAID.

·

SPEAKING AT THE SEVENTH COSMETIC, HAIR AND BEAUTY EXHIBITION WHICH IS ASIA'S LARGEST EXHIBITION OF ITS KIND, MRS PATTEN SAID IT WAS HARDLY SURPRISING THAT HONG KONG WAS AN IMPORTANT AND A GROWING MARKET FOR BEAUTY PRODUCTS IN THE REGION.

MRS PATTEN

EXPECTED THE OUTLOOK OF IMPORTS OF COSMETICS AND HAIR CARE PRODUCTS FOR THIS YEAR WAS VERY GOOD INDEED.

"NOT ONLY BECAUSE THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG ARE BECOMING MORE PROSPEROUS, WHICH ENABLES THEM TO SPEND MORE ON BEAUTY CARE AND LOOKING GOOD.

"BUT ALSO AS A RESULT OF THE GOVERNMENT'S DECISION TO ABOLISH THE 30 PER CENT DUTY ON COSMETICS IN THE CURRENT FINANCIAL YRAR, SHE SAID.

SHE SAID IT WAS EXPECTED THAT PART OF THIS REDUCTION IN COSTS WOULD BE PASSED ON TO CONSUMERS, AND THAT THE EFFECT IT WOULD HAVE ON DOMESTIC SALES AS WELL AS INCREASED PURCHASES BY OVERSEAS VISITORS WOULD BE SIGNIFICANT.

THE IMPORTS HAD BEEN INCREASING AT AN AVERAGE RATE OF 11 PER CENT ANNUALLY IN THE PAST FOUR YEARS AND REACHED A TOTAL VALUE OF HK$4.7 BILLION LAST YEAR.

SINCE THE EXHIBITION WENT INTERNATIONAL IN ATTRACTED TWICE THE NUMBER OF EXHIBITORS FROM SOME 20 SHOW TAKIR PRODUCTS IN HONG KONG. AMONG THEM ARE THE ITALY AND THE UK WHICH ARE ALL

WELL-KNOWN FOR

INDUSTRIES.

1989, IT HAS COUNTRIES ΤΟ USA, FRANCE, THEIR BEAUTY

MRS PATTEN SAID SHE WAS HAPPY TO LEARN THAT THE RXHIBITION WAS ATTRACTING AN INCREASING NUMBER OF BUYERS AND VISITORS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD AND PARTICULARLY FROM COUNTRIES IN THE ASIA PACIFIC REGION.

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