INDUSTRY AND TRADE
23
As a member of the Asian Productivity Organisation (APO), Hong Kong was represented at the 1978 workshop meeting of national productivity centres in Nepal, and at the governing body meeting in Seoul. The APO Director of Hong Kong was elected the second vice-chairman of the APO for 1978.
The centre is a participating organisation of the Asian Network of Industrial Technology Information and Extension (Technonet Asia), set up under the auspices of the Industrial Development Research Centre of Canada (IDRC). During the year, the centre transferred its membership of the Federation of International Documenta- tion (FID) to the Hong Kong Polytechnic library, but agreed to retain its membership of the FID Sub-committee on Information for Industry.
Other Trade and Industrial Organisations
=
The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, founded in 1861, is the earliest established trade and industrial association in Hong Kong. Its membership, covering all branches of commerce and industry, is represented on a number of government boards and committees. It also is a member of the International Chamber of Com- merce. The chamber is involved in promoting Hong Kong trade and attracting new industry in conjunction with the government.
-
The Federation of Hong Kong Industries, established by statute in 1960, has a membership representative of all industries, many nationalities and all sizes of enter- prise. To encourage the development of better industrial design, the federation established the Hong Kong Industrial Design Council, which provides practical train- ing courses for in-service designers and promotes annual design competitions. The federation also established the Hong Kong Packaging Council to promote the develop- ment of packaging education and technology, and the development of skills and expertise in packaging.
The federation's Hong Kong Standards and Testing Centre provides testing, inspec- tion, certification and related services. The centre can test most Hong Kong products. Its facilities include chemical, calibration, electrical, electronic, engineering, food, footwear, gemmological, microbiological, packaging, pharmaceutical, textile, toy and watch testing laboratories. Product testing at the centre is carried out in line with recognised standards or individual specifications. Its services also include pre-shipment inspection, quality control, production inspection, industrial research, product de- velopment and technical consultancy.
The Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong has more than 2,000 mem- bers representing manufacturers and traders of all sizes. The association, a member of the International Chamber of Commerce, has played an important role in the industrial development of Hong Kong. It is active in promoting new product develop- ment and has held an annual Hong Kong New Products Award Competition since 1970. It also takes a keen interest in industrial training and runs a prevocational school. As part of its trade promotion activities, the association runs a Hong Kong products display centre.
Consumer Council
The Consumer Council protects and promotes the interests of consumers of goods and services.