XN000022-1993-08-23 — Page 4

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MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 1993

HE EXPLAINED THAT THE GOVERNMENT WERE INTENDING TO BRING FORWARD THESE MORE STRAIGHTFORWARD PROVISIONS EVEN EARLIER THAN 1997.

"HOWEVER WE OBVIOUSLY NEED ΤΟ WORK OUT THE DETAILS ALIGNMENT WITH THE CHINESE SIDE. H

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DR VICKERS ALSO POINTED OUT THAT, IN ADDITION TO THE BRITISH NATIONALS (OVERSEAS) PASSPORT, WHICH SOME HONG KONG PEOPLE WISHED ΤΟ KEEP THROUGH 1997, AND THE BRITISH OVERSEAS CITIZENS PASSPORT WHICH WOULD BE AN EXTRA OPTION FOR THE ETHNIC MINORITY ΤΟ PREVENT STATELESSNESS, THE MAIN PASSPORT AFTER 1997 WOULD BE A HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION PASSPORT.

HE SAID DETAILS WOULD NEED TO BE WORKED OUT WITH THE CHINESE SIDE IN THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO, SO THAT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ITS ISSUE BY THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT COULD BE READY IN TIME FOR 'DAY ONE' OF CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY.

HE POINTED OUT THAT THIS PASSPORT WOULD, UNDER DECLARATION, BE AVAILABLE TO ALL CHINESE CITIZENS OF HONG THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAS INDICATED THAT PEOPLE BELONGING MINORITIES COULD ALSO APPLY FOR CHINESE CITIZENSHIP.

THE JOINT KONG, AND

то ETHNIC

CONSUMER PRICE INDICES FOR JULY

CONSUMER PRICE INFLATION RESUMED ITS MODERATING TREND IN JULY AFTER THE TEMPORARY REBOUND IN MAY AND JUNE.

THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (A) IN JULY WAS 8.2% HIGHER THAN IN THE SAME MONTH LAST YEAR, ACCORDING TO FIGURES RELEASED TODAY (MONDAY) BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

THIS WAS APPRECIABLY SLOWER THAN THE CORRESPONDING INCREASES OF 8.5% IN MAY AND 8.6% IN JUNE.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID IT WAS ENCOURAGING TO SEE CONSUMER PRICE INFLATION EASING BACK IN JULY.

"APART FROM THE SLOWER INCREASE IN FOOD PRICES, PARTICULARLY THOSE OF VEGETABLES AND SALT-WATER FISH, THE PRICES FOR TRANSPORT AND MISCELLANEOUS SERVICES CONTINUED TO RISE LESS RAPIDLY. THE RATES OF INCREASE IN THE PRICES OF OTHER COMPONENTS IN THE CPI ALSO TENDED то STABILISE IN RECENT MONTHS, HE EXPLAINED.

"

J

"TAKING THE FIRST SEVEN MONTHS TOGETHER

THE YEAR-ON-YEAR INCREASE IN THE CPI (A) AVERAGED AT 8,5%. THIS IS ONE PERCENTAGE POINT BELOW THE FORECAST OF 9.5% FOR 1993 AS A WHOLE, HE ADDED.

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THE CPI (B) AND THE HANG SENG CPI WERE HIGHER BY 8.5% AND 9.2% RESPECTIVELY IN JULY THAN IN THE SAME MONTH LAST YEAR.

THE CORRESPONDING INCREASES IN JUNE WERE 8.7% AND 9.5%.

THE COMPOSITE CPI, WHICH IS COMPILED BASED ON THE COMBINED EXPENDITURE PATTERN OF HOUSEHOLDS COVERED BY THE THREE CPIS, SHOWED AN INCREASE OF 8.6% IN JULY OVER THE SAME MONTH LAST YEAR, THIS WAS ALSO LOWER THAN THE CORRESPONDING INCREASE OF 8.8% IN JUNE.

/COMPARING JULY