For discussion
on 29 June 1990
FCR (90-91135 (OMELCO Ref. : ITL)
ITEM FOR FINANCE COMMITTEE
HEAD 178
TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND INDUSTRIAL TRAINING
DEPARTMENT
New
Capital Account Subhead "Re-training
Ivory Workers Scheme
of Displaced
Members are invited-
(a)
to approve a new Capital Account subhead and 2
new Capital Account commituent of $5,880,000 for the re-training of displaced ivory workers by the Vocational Training Council' and Construction Industry Training Authority; and
the
(b)
to
approve
provision of
supplementary
under $5,880,000
the above subhead.
Introduction
As a result of a decision taken at the seventh conference of parties to the Convention on International and Flora Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna (CITES) in October 1989, all international trade in ivory In Hong Kong the by CITES
CITES parties has been banned. imports of ivory have been stopped since June 1989 and the ban on exports of ivory from Hong Kong will come into effect in July 1990. For many years Hong Kong has been a centre for ivory carving, and the estimated 1 200 carvers Involved in the trade are therefore hard-hit by the ban.
2.
the
Governor-in-Council
On 7 November 1989, decided that a scheme for re-training ivory craftsmen should be established with a view to equipping them for
employment.
was
alternative subsistence allowance
also decided It
the should be paid to
while they were undergoing re-training.
that a craftszen
/Present