LOT-FEB-1990 17:47
GOVERNMENT
SELMEIATION.
CONFIDEN
3
(a) The sheer size of the problem
-
see statistics in para.
4 (c) above.
(b)
We
do
not
to discriminate against small firms, want
For example, which form the backbone of HK's economy.
in
small-sized 1988,
segment of Hong
firms still constitute a major
Kong's
main economic
evidenced by the following statistics:
sectors
as
Sector
Manufacturing
No. of establishments
employing
1-9 persons
35,066 (69%)
Total no. of establishments
50,606
Wholesale/Retail/
102,343 (92%)
111,614
Import/Export
Finance/Insurance/
Real Estate/
Business Services
17,559 (82%)
21,429
(Source: HK Annual Digest of Statistics (1989 Edition),
Table 3.13)
Small firms are important
flexibility and
adaptability
necessary
Kong economy
demand
to
cope
with
the frequent
because they provide the the Hong
changes in
for
But they
will
and patterns
changes in world economic trends.
lose out if individual firms are ranked
by the size of their business or profits.
TOTAL P.25