XN000022-1994-08-12 — Page 7

RIDAY, AUGUST 12, 1994

5

BUSINESS PROSPECTS FOR THE SECOND HALF OF 1994

MANUFACTURERS GENERALLY EXPECT A MODERATE INCREASE IN VOLUME OF ORDERS IN THE SECOND HALF OF 1994 OVER THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR, ACCORDING TO THE RESULTS OF A RECENT HALF-YEARLY BUSINESS PROSPECTS SURVEY RELEASED TODAY (FRIDAY) BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT,

FOR INDIVIDUAL MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES, INCREASES IN ORDERS ARE EXPECTED IN THE PRINTING INDUSTRY; THE FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS INDUSTRY: THE ELECTRONIC INDUSTRY (EXCLUDING ELECTRONIC WATCHES AND CLOCKS) AND THE ELECTRICAL MACHINERY AND APPLIANCES INDUSTRY.

THE

ON THE OTHER HAND, MANUFACTURERS IN THE WEARING APPAREL INDUSTRY ANTICIPATE STABLE VOLUME OF ORDERS WHILE THOSE TEXTILES INDUSTRY FORESEE A MILD DECREASE.

IN

WILL

MANUFACTURERS GENERALLY EXPECT THAT CAPACITY UTILISATION INCREASE

THE SECOND HALF COMPARED WITH THE FIRST

1994. IN

HALF OF PROFIT MARGINS, HOWEVER, ARE FORESEEN TO SHRINK IN THE SECOND HALF OF 1994 COMPARED WITH THE SAME PERIOD A YEAR AGO.

BROADLY IN LINE WITH THE EXPECTATIONS OF MANUFACTURERS, EXPORTERS ALSO EXPECT A MODERATE INCREASE IN THE VALUE OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS AND A MORE SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE VALUE OF RE-EXPORTS. SIMILAR VIEWS ARE HELD BY BANKERS, WHO EXPECT THAT THE VALUE OF TOTAL EXPORTS WILL INCREASE MODERATELY IN THE SECOND HALF OF 1994.

LOOKING AHEAD, CONSTRUCTION FIRMS GENERALLY EXPECT A INCREASE IN THE VOLUME OF CONSTRUCTION OUTPUT IN THE SECOND 1994.

MODERATE HALF

OF

BEGINNING FROM JANUARY 1994, THE HALF-YEARLY BUSINESS PROSPECTS SURVEY HAS REPLACED THE QUARTERLY BUSINESS SURVEY.

ABOUT

THE NEW SURVEY BEING HELD ON A HALF-YEARLY BASIS COVERS 330 FIRMS FROM MAJOR MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES, THE IMPORT/EXPORT TRADES, THE BANKING INDUSTRY AND THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR.

IT CONTINUES TO COLLECT VIEWS OF FIRMS ON THE SHORT-TERM AIMS AT PROPECTS OF THE VARIOUS MAJOR BUSINESS SECTORS COVERED AND PROVIDING A QUICK REFERENCE, WITH A MINIMUM TIME LAG,

ASSESSING THE SHORT-TERM FUTURE ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE OF HONG KONG.

FOR

OF

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT POINTED OUT THAT IN A SURVEY THIS NATURE, THE RESULTS SHOULD BE INTERPRETED WITH CAUTION AS IT WAS

WHICH TO ESTABLISH PRECISELY THE EXTENT TO DIFFICULT

RESPONDENTS' PERCEPTION OF THE FUTURE ACCORDS WITH THE UNDERLYING TRENDS.

THE SURVEY RESULTS ARE PUBLISHED IN DETAIL IN THE HALF-YEARLY BUSINESS PROSPECTS SURVEY, JULY 1994".

THE

"REPORT ON

THE

AT BUILDING, DEPARTMENT

REPORT IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR SALE AT $7 A COPY GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE, GENERAL POST OFFICE CONNAUGHT PLACE, CENTRAL, OR AT THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS PUBLICATIONS SECTION, 19TH FLOOR, WANCHAI TOWER, 12 HARBOUR ROAD, WAN

CHAI.

ECONOMIC

ENQUIRIES ABOUT THE SURVEY RESULTS MAY BE MADE TO THE

SURVEYS SECTION OF THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS

GENERAL

DEPARTMENT

ON

TEL 839 3223.

0

/6