SINGAPORE, February 21 (Xinhuanet) -- Singapore's domestic and
foreign wholesale trade indices both fell markedly in the fourth
quarter of 2001, said latest government statistics on Wednesday.
   The overall domestic wholesale trade index continued to fall by
24.0 percent in the period as compared with the same quarter of
2000, mainly as a result of lower sales of petroleum and petroleum
products and electronic and electrical components.
   However, domestic wholesale trade of food, beverages and
tobacco rose by 6.1 percent  -- the only activity that reported
positive growth throughout the year.
   After a substantial growth of 29.4 percent in 2000, the overall
domestic wholesale trade index for the whole year of 2001 dropped
by 11.5 percent over the previous year, it added.
   The overall foreign wholesale trade index declined sharply by
27.4 percent over the corresponding quarter of 2000, with the
major contribution to the drop coming from petroleum and petroleum
products, whose sales fell substantially by 36.2 percent.
   The only group which registered positive growth was wholesaling
of food, beverages and tobacco, which rose by 12.8 percent, it
noted.
   For the whole year of 2001, the overall foreign wholesale trade
index decreased by 11.6 percent, a sharp contrast to the 41.1
percent growth recorded in the previous year.  Enditem