Date : 15 . 04 . 1997

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


ACCORDING TO THE PROVISIONAL RESULTS OF MONTHLY MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY TENDENCY SURVEY COMPILED FROM 522 ESTABLISHMENTS, THE PRODUCTION WEIGHTED CAPACITY UTILIZATION HAS BEEN DETERMINED TO BE 80.8 % IN MARCH 1997. THE FIGURE WAS 75.2 % IN THE SAME MONTH OF PREVIOUS YEAR.

The reasons for inability to full capacity utilization are:


                                      March 1996            March 1997
                                  -------------------   ------------------

Insufficient local demand                % 49.0                % 57.3
Insufficient foreign demand              % 12.1                % 12.9
Financial problems                       %  2.6                %  6.1
Insufficient local raw material supply   %  3.3                %  3.2
Problems with labour                     %  2.3                %  4.0
Insufficient foreign raw material supply %  2.4                %  1.0

74.3 % of the establishments stated an increase while the 7.7 % stated a decrease of production in March 1997. The figures in March 1996 were 60.4 %, and 17.7 %, respectively.

23.1 % of the establishments expect an increase, while 25.2 % expect a decrease in production in April 1997. In April 1996, the expectations were 40.2 %, and 25.8 %, respectively.