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Wedneday, March 27, 1974
STEADY EXPANSION OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT
The Director of Commerce and Industry, Mr. David Jordan, today
replied in the Legislative Council to issues raised by Unofficial
Members on the staff resources and organisation of the department.
Pointing out that the department has expanded steadily over the
years, he said that during the past year it had established a new
Industrial Promotion Branch and set up a new Trade Division, whose
responsibilities take in certification and licensing and the Trade
Investigation Bureau.
Mr. Jordan agreed, however, that the department's responsibilities
were tending to increase rather faster than its establishment, particularly
at senior management levels. "I had," he said, "already submitted
my proposals for a fairly radical re-organisation and strengthening
of the department."
Mr. Jordan said that Mr. James Wu also had suggested that the
Commerce and Industry Department should be up-graded and enlarged and
additionally staffed with people possessing industrial experience and
technological expertise to help promote industrial development.
He said he would like to discuss this with Mr. Wu, but he would
be wary of getting very far into the direct promotion of industrial
development.
"The government's responsibility is, I think, rather to create
and foster an environment in which industrial development can proceod
rather than directly to promote that development itself," he continued.
"Our industrial