INDUSTRY AND TRADE
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VTC will, in turn, be able to increase its output of technicians and craftsmen skilled in the design and manufacture of the tools and dies needed to produce the high-precision components increasingly sought by manufacturing industries.
Progress was also made with a wider scheme of training in new technologies. A working party, led by the department, developed proposals for a loan scheme to enable technol- ogists to be trained locally or overseas in the practical application of the latest industrial technologies. The scheme will be administered by the Vocational Training Council and will begin in 1990.
Additional land and accommodation was made available for industry. The government put up for sale by auction or tender 15 pieces of industrial land with a total area of 44 442 square metres, and 864 000 square metres of flatted factory space were completed by private developers. To assist those industries needing access to deep-water frontage, con- sultants have been appointed to study the feasibility of developing a site at Tuen Mun West. The study will be completed early in 1990.
In April 1989, a permanent industrial extension service was launched by the department to publicise the range of industrial support services available in Hong Kong and to en- courage manufacturers to use them. A total of 285 manufacturers were visited during the period April 1989 to December 1989, resulting in 134 referrals being made to a variety of agencies and government departments.
A new award scheme, The Governor's Award for Industry, was introduced by the -department in 1989, in co-operation with the Federation of Hong Kong Industries and the Chinese Manufacturers' Association. The scheme aims to encourage industrial upgrading by recognising achievements in various aspects of industrial performance. In June 1989, the first awards were presented for consumer product design and machinery and equipment design. The scheme will be expanded in 1990 to cover productivity and good quality management.
Through the Hong Kong economic and trade offices in New York, San Francisco, Tokyo, London and Brussels, and its own 'One-Stop' unit in Hong Kong, the Inward Investment Division of the department assisted overseas investors in setting up manufac- turing businesses in the territory. At the end of 1988, total overseas investment amounted to $26,172 million, compared with $21,122 million in the preceding year.
Many of these investments are from world leaders in their respective fields and have contributed significantly to upgrading the level of technology and expertise of the local manufacturing sector. More than half the projects completed during the year were of a technology level comparable with or superior to that of the best Hong Kong companies. Notable examples included the assembly of portable oscilloscopes and the production of press tools for multilayer laminates.
Hong Kong Productivity Council
The Hong Kong Productivity Council was established by statute in 1967 to promote the increased productivity of industry in Hong Kong. It is financed by an annual government subvention and by fees earned from its services. The council consists of a chairman and 20 members appointed by the Governor. Its membership is drawn from the management, labour, academic and professional fields and from government departments.
The council has over 450 staff members with expertise in a wide range of disciplines. It provides a variety of training programmes, industrial and management consultancies and technological support services, using resources available in its 10 operational divisions: Computer Services, Electronics Services, Engineering Services, Metals Development,