Date : 14 . 01 . 1997

MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY MONTHLY TENDENCY SURVEY
PRODUCTION, SALES, AND PRICES
IN DECEMBER 1996 AND
EXPECTATIONS FOR JANUARY 1997


ACCORDING TO THE PROVISIONAL RESULTS OF MONTHLY MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY TENDENCY SURVEY COMPILED FROM 517 ESTABLISHMENTS, THE PRODUCTION WEIGHTED CAPACITY UTILIZATION HAS BEEN DETERMINED TO BE 78.8 % IN DECEMBER 1996. THE FIGURE WAS 82.2 % IN THE SAME MONTH OF PREVIOUS YEAR.

The reasons for inability to full capacity utilization are:


                                     December 1995         December 1996
                                  -------------------   ------------------

Insufficient local demand                % 49.0                % 55.1
Insufficient foreign demand              % 12.0                % 14.9
Financial problems                       %  3.4                % 10.1
Insufficient local raw material supply   %  3.2                %  2.5
Problems with labour                     %  3.5                %  3.4
Insufficient foreign raw material supply %  1.7                %  1.0

40.7 % of the establishments stated an increase while the 35.5 % stated a decrease of production in December 1996. The figures in December 1995 were 40.2 %, and 34.6 %, respectively.

31.3 % of the establishments expect an increase, while 31.7 % expect a decrease in production in January 1997. In January 1996, the expectations were 23.9 %, and 35.7 %, respectively.