XN000022-1995-06-20 — Page 11

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Value of manufacturers' orders-on-hand in April

The value of manufacturers' orders-on-hand for local production in April increased by 4% over a year earlier, according to the provisional results of a monthly survey released today (Tuesday) by the Census and Statistics Department.

Comparing April 1995 with April 1994, significant increase in the value of outstanding orders was recorded in the electronic products industry (+29%). Increases in the value of orders were also recorded in the electrical products industry (+15%), the printing & publishing industry (+6%) and the wearing apparel industry (+3%).

On the other hand, significant decreases in the value of orders were registered in the fabricated metal products industry (-31%) and the textiles industry(-21%). Decrease in the value of orders was also recorded in the plastic products industry (- 12%).

Compared with March, and bearing in mind that this comparison may be affected by seasonal factors, the value of manufacturers' orders-on-hand in April increased by 3%.

The Monthly Survey of Orders-on-hand covers a sample of some 300 manufacturing firms engaging 50 or more workers.

Manufacturers' orders-on-hand refer to orders and parts of orders received earlier by manufacturers for local production which remain unfilled as at the end of the reference month. Orders received by traders not engaged in production are included if such orders are further placed to manufacturers for production locally. However, orders placed to manufacturing firms for production in China and other places outside Hong Kong are not included in this series of orders-on-hand statistics.

A spokesman of 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 a wider span of time points should be looked at.

The survey report for April 1995, at $6.0 a copy, is now on sale at the Government Publications Centre, Queensway Government Offices, Low Block, ground floor, Queensway, and at the Census and Statistics Department Publications Section, 19th Floor, Wanchai Tower, 12 Harbour Road, Wan Chai.