Date : 14 . 03 . 1997

MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY MONTHLY TENDENCY SURVEY
PRODUCTION, SALES, AND PRICES
IN FEBRUARY 1997 AND
EXPECTATIONS FOR MARCH 1997


ACCORDING TO THE PROVISIONAL RESULTS OF MONTHLY MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY TENDENCY SURVEY COMPILED FROM 504 ESTABLISHMENTS, THE PRODUCTION WEIGHTED CAPACITY UTILIZATION HAS BEEN DETERMINED TO BE 76.9 % IN FEBRUARY 1997. THE FIGURE WAS 78.1 % IN THE SAME MONTH OF PREVIOUS YEAR.

The reasons for inability to full capacity utilization are:


                                     February 1996         February 1997
                                  -------------------   ------------------

Insufficient local demand                % 47.1                % 57.6
Insufficient foreign demand              % 11.5                % 13.9
Financial problems                       %  3.3                %  5.7
Insufficient local raw material supply   %  2.2                %  1.3
Problems with labour                     %  2.6                %  3.4
Insufficient foreign raw material supply % 17.6                %  1.3

33.1 % of the establishments stated an increase while the 47.8 % stated a decrease of production in February 1997. The figures in February 1996 were 14.2 %, and 72.7 %, respectively.

76.0 % of the establishments expect an increase, while 3.8 % expect a decrease in production in March 1997. In March 1996, the expectations were 61.1 %, and 18.0 %, respectively.