TRADE AND INDUSTRY
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the company to develop and provide a Community Electronic Trading Service (CETS) in Hong Kong. The CETS was expected to lay the foundation for the widespread use of electronic commerce techniques such as electronic data interchange (EDI) within Hong Kong's business community to improve efficiency and competitiveness.
The CETS entered its third year of operation in 1999. At the end of the year, over 40 000 companies were registered with Tradelink to process certain government trade-related documents electronically. Application for restrained textiles export licences through electronic means has been made compulsory since January. Likewise, electronic submission for lodging trade declarations will be compulsory from April 2000. Compulsory electronic submission for production notifications and certificates of origin is expected to take effect in February and July 2000 respectively.
The Industry Department
The Industry Department's mission is to facilitate the development of manufacturing and service industries within the framework of a free market. It works closely with its partners in government, business, tertiary education institutions and industrial support organisations to provide the necessary physical, technological and human infrastructure, promote quality and productivity improvement, encourage applied research and development, monitor developments in markets and technologies, attract inward investment in Hong Kong industries, and support the development of small and medium enterprises.
Land
The Government has made available 35 271 square metres of industrial land for sale by tender on application in 1999. Private developers provided an additional 4 000 square metres of flatted factory space in 1999. The three industrial estates at Tai Po, Yuen Long and Tseung Kwan O provide a total of 214 hectares of land. The industrial estates in Tai Po and Yuen Long are practically full and the one in Tseung Kwan O, commissioned in 1994, is almost half full. To meet the demand in the early 21st century, a fourth industrial estate is being planned in Tuen Mun.
Technical Education and Industrial Training
The Vocational Training Council (VTC) provides technical education and industrial training places. In addition, it administers the New Technology Training Scheme which provides financial assistance to employers for training their staff in new technologies useful to their business. The Clothing Industry Training Authority (CITA) runs two training centres for the clothing and footwear industries. The Industry Department is represented on the VTC and the CITA. Higher-level education and training are provided by the tertiary education institutions.
Promotion of Innovation and Technology
Innovation and Technology Fund
The Government set up an Innovation and Technology Fund with an initial injection of $5 billion in July to support projects that would help promote innovation and technology upgrading of the manufacturing and service industries. By the end of 1999, the fund, including the Industrial Support Fund and the Services Support Fund