XN000022-1993-08-12 — Page 7

THURSDAY, AUGUST 12, 1993

NEVERTHELESS, THE PROBLEM OF LABOUR SHORTAGE SEEMED TO HAVE ALLEVIATED IN THE QUARTER. LOOKING AHEAD, THE BUSINESS SITUATION WILL CONTINUE TO IMPROVE IN THE FOLLOWING QUARTER.

IN THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR, THE GENERAL BUSINESS SITUATION AND CAPACITY UTILISATION REMAINED BROADLY THE SAME IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF 1993.

THE PROBLEM OF LOCAL PRICE COMPETITION HAD SOMEWHAT ALLEVIATED BUT STILL REMAINED THE MOST CITED PROBLEM IN THE SECTOR. THE PROBLEM OF HIGH MATERIAL PRICES WAS EMERGING IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF 1993.

BUT LOOKING AHEAD, BOTH THE GENERAL CAPACITY UTILISATION ARE EXPECTED TO IMPROVE.

BUSINESS SITUATION AND

FOR THE WHOLESALE, RETAIL AND IMPORT/EXPORT TRADES, THE GENERAL BUSINESS SITUATION AND CAPACITY UTILISATION ALSO REMAINED BROADLY THE SAME IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF 1993.

PRICE COMPETITION REMAINED KEEN WHILE THE PROBLEM OF HIGH STAFF TURNOVER HAD SOMEWHAT ALLEVIATED. LOOKING AHEAD, FIRMS FROM THESE TRADES EXPECT IMPROVEMENT IN BOTH THE GENERAL BUSINESS SITUATION CAPACITY UTILISATION.

AND

THE MAJORITY OF RESTAURANT OPERATORS REPORTED THAT THE GENERAL BUSINESS SITUATION AND CAPACITY UTILISATION DETERIORATED IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF THIS YEAR. THE DIP WAS, HOWEVER, LARGELY SEASONAL.

THE PROBLEM OF INSUFFICIENT BUSINESS INTENSIFIED IN THE QUARTER BUT IS EXPECTED TO ALLEVIATE AGAIN IN THE FOLLOWING QUARTER. LOOKING AHEAD, BOTH THE GENERAL BUSINESS SITUATION AND CAPACITY UTILISATION WILL IMPROVE IN THE FOLLOWING QUARTER AS THE RESTAURANT BUSINESS ENTERS INTO A SEASONAL PEAK.

THE GENERAL BUSINESS SITUATION AND CAPACITY UTILISATION OF THE HOTEL INDUSTRY IMPROVED IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF 1993. THE PROBLEM OF HIGH STAFF TURNOVER HAS EASED SOMEWHAT WHILE PRICE COMPETITION REMAINED THE BUSINESS PROBLEM MOST CITED BY HOTEL OPERATORS.

LOOKING AHEAD, THE MAJORITY OF HOTEL OPERATORS EXPECT DETERIORATION IN

SEASONAL

BOTH THE GENERAL BUSINESS SITUATION AND CAPACITY UTILISATION IN THE FOLLOWING QUARTER.

FOR THE TRANSPORT, STORAGE AND COMMUNICATION SERVICES, BOTH THE GENERAL BUSINESS SITUATION AND CAPACITY UTILISATION IMPROVED IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF 1993.

WHILE THE PROBLEMS OF HIGH STAFF TURNOVER AND PRICE COMPETITION CONTINUED TO BOTHER THE INDUSTRY, FURTHER IMPROVEMENT IN THE PROBLEM OF INSUFFICIENT BUSINESS WAS REPORTED. LOOKING AHEAD, FURTHER IMPROVEMENT IN BUSINESS SITUATION IS EXPECTED.

ABOUT 500 FIRMS FROM VARIOUS INDUSTRIES AND TRADES, FORMING CROSS-SECTION OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, PARTICIPATED IN THE SURVEY.

A

THEY WERE

ASKED ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS EXPERIENCES EXPECTATIONS AS WELL AS THE BUSINESS PROBLEMS THEY FACED.

AND

/THE RESULTS