XN000022-1996-03-20 — Page 12

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Value of manufacturers' orders-on-hand in January

The value of manufacturers' orders-on-hand for local production in January 1996 increased by 2% over a year earlier, according to the provisional results of a monthly survey released today (Wednesday) by the Census and Statistics Department.

Comparing January 1996 with January 1995, increases in the value of orders were registered in the electrical products industry (+9%), the fabricated metal products industry (+9%), the electronic products industry (+7%) and the printing and publishing industry (+1%).

The value of orders for the plastic products industry showed little change.

On the other hand, decreases in the value of orders were recorded in the textiles industry (-8%) and the wearing apparel industry (-2%).

Compared with December 1995, and bearing in mind this comparison may be affected by seasonal factors, the value of manufacturers' orders-on-hand in January 1996 increased by 6%.

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 January 1996, at $7 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 Unit, 19th Floor, Wanchai Tower, 12 Harbour Road, Wan Chai.