All business sectors in Hong Kong are expected to grow faster in the second quarter of 2004 than in the first quarter, according to a quarterly business tendency survey released Monday.

The survey, conducted by the Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department, gathers views on the short-term business outlook from the senior management of about 490 prominent establishments in various sectors from March 12 to April 6. In giving views on a quarter-on-quarter comparison, respondents are requested to exclude normal seasonal changes when providing their views.

In manufacturing, wholesale and retail, import and export trade, transport and related services, banks, financing and insurance, real estate, business services and telecommunications sectors, significantly more respondents expect an increase in their volume of production or output.

More respondents in the above mentioned sectors expect their employment to increase.

A spokesman for the department cautioned that the results should be interpreted with care as it is difficult to establish precisely the extent to which respondents' perception of the future accords with the underlying trends.

(Xinhua News Agency May 4, 2004)