The majority of respondents (26 per cent) expected revenues to fall by five to 10 per cent, with the next sizeable group (24 per cent) predicting a fall of less than five per cent.
The survey, which attracted 272 respondents from China, Hong Kong and 16 other countries, also found the severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) is causing international companies to downgrade their view of Hong Kong and the mainland as business centres.
Sixty-eight per cent viewed China more negatively as a business centre than before the Sars outbreak became public knowledge and the corresponding figure for Hong Kong was 56 per cent. Ninety per cent of those polled have operations in Hong Kong and China. The EIU has downgraded Hong Kong's GDP growth forecast to 0.3 per cent and Singapore's to 2.6 per cent.
- See p2.