XN000022-1994-06-20 — Page 4

MONDAY, JUNE 20, 1994

VALUE OF MANUFACTURERS' ORDERS-ON-HAND IN APRIL

THE VALUE OF MANUFACTURERS' ORDERS-ON-HAND FOR LOCAL PRODUCTION YEAR IN APRIL 1994 RETURNED TO A SMALL POSITIVE INCREASE OF 2% OVER A EARLIER, AFTER HAVING DECLINED IN THE FIRST THREE MONTHS OF THIS YEAR.

OF A MONTHLY SURVEY THIS IS PART OF THE PROVISIONAL RESULTS RELEASED TODAY (MONDAY) BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT,

MANUFACTURERS'

AND REFER TO ORDERS ORDERS-ON-HAND

PARTS OF PRODUCTION WHICH ORDERS RECEIVED EARLIER BY MANUFACTURERS FOR LOCAL REMAIN UNFILLED AS AT THE END OF THE REFERENCE MONTH.

BY TRADERS NOT ENGAGED IN PRODUCTION ARE

MANUFACTURERS ORDERS ARE FURTHER PLACED

ORDERS RECEIVED INCLUDED IF SUCH PRODUCTION LOCALLY.

ΤΟ

FOR

HOWEVER, ORDERS PLACED TO MANUFACTURING FIRMS FOR PRODUCTION IN

IN INCLUDED

THIS CHINA AND OTHER PLACES OUTSIDE HONG KONG ARE NOT SERIES OF ORDERS-ON-HAND STATISTICS.

COMPARING APRIL 1994 WITH APRIL 1993, SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN VALUE OF OUTSTANDING ORDERS WERE RECORDED IN THE ELECTRONIC THE

PRODUCTS INDUSTRY PRODUCTS INDUSTRY (+18%) AND THE FABRICATED METAL

IN THE IN ORDERS WAS RECORDED

TEXTILES

MODERATE (+15%). INDUSTRY (+6%).

INCREASE

RECORDED INDUSTRY

ON THE OTHER HAND, SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN ORDERS WAS IN THE WEARING APPAREL INDUSTRY (-17%). THE PLASTIC PRODUCTS AND THE PRINTING AND PUBLISHING INDUSTRY RECORDED SMALL DECREASES IN ORDERS (-2% AND -1% RESPECTIVELY). ORDERS IN THE ELECTRICAL INDUSTRY SHOWED LITTLE CHANGE.

PRODUCTS

WITH COMPARED

BE MAY

MARCHI 1994,

IN AND BEARING

MIND THAT THIS

VALUE COMPARISON

OF FACTORS, AFFECTED

THE SEASONAL BY MANUFACTURERS' ORDERS-ON-HAND IN APRIL 1994 INCREASED BY 7%.

OF SOME

THE MONTHLY SURVEY OF ORDERS-ON-HAND COVERS A SAMPLE 300 MANUFACTURING FIRMS ENGAGING 50 OR MORE WORKERS.

OP

STATISTICS

ON

OF

JANUARY 1994, A NEW SERIES BEGINNING FROM MANUFACTURERS' ORDERS-ON-HAND IN VALUE TERMS COMPILED IN THE FORM AN INDEX IS PRODUCED, TO REPLACE THE OLD SERIES WHICH WAS EXPRESSED IN TERMS OF NUMBER OF MONTHS TO COMPLETE THE OUTSTANDING ORDERS.

THE NEW STATISTICAL SERIES PROVIDES A MORE DIRECT THE OVERALL VALUE OF ORDERS IN THE LOCAL MANUFACTURING LEAD TO THE GENERATION OF LOCAL MANUFACTURING OUTPUT.

MEASURE OF SECTOR THAT

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT POINTED OUT THAT CAUTION SHOULD BE EXERCISED IN INTERPRETING THE MANUFACTURERS' ORDERS-ON-HAND FIGURES IN A SINGLE MONTH.

INSTEAD, THE TREND MOVEMENT OF THE SERIES AS DISPLAYED OVER WIDER SPAN OF TIME POINTS SHOULD BE LOOKED AT.

A

/THE SURVEY