San Miguel Brewery Hong Kong Ltd announced that its first half net profit will be significantly lower compared with the year-earlier HK$13.134m. The predicted decline is attributed to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) crisis.

Beer sales had fallen since the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in Hong Kong and South China and sales for the first four months were less than the same period in 2002, the company said. "If the epidemic continues beyond June 2003, the company's profit results for the six months to June 30 2003 may be significantly less than that for the six months to June 30 2002."

29 April, 2003