WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 1975
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MR. HENDERSON SAID IT WAS THOUGHT THAT THE LEVY WOULD PROBABLY BE OF THE ORDER OF 0.03 PER CENT OF THE F.0.B. VALUE OF CLOTHING ITEMS EXPORTED.
THE DIRECTOR OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY WOULD BE THE STATUTORY AUTHORITY FOR COLLECTION OF THE LEVY, AND THE PROCEEDS WOULD THEN BE PAID TO THE AUTHORITY.
THE BILL PROVIDED FOR THE IMPOSITION OF A SURCHARGE ON EXPORTERS WHO FAILED TO LODGE A DECLARATION ON EXPORT CLOTHING ITEMS.
MR. HENDERSON SAID : +WHILE THE LEVY WILL FALL, FOR PRACTICAL REASONS, ON TO THE EXPORTERS TO PAY, NO DOUBT THIS WILL BE PASSED BACK TO THE MANUFACTURERS WHO WILL ULTIMATELY BE THE BENEFICIARIES OF THE SCHEME, WHICH IN THE LONG RUN WILL HELP HONG KONG MAINTAIN ITS EXPORTS COMPETITIVENESS BY ENSURING THE SUPPLY OF TRAINED OPERATIVES.+
HE SAID THAT UNDER THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY TRAINING SCHEME # CONTRACTORS, AND THE AUTHORISED PERSON UNDER THE BUILDING ORDINANCE (SUCH AS THE ARCHITECT), WOULD BE REQUIRED TO GIVE NOTICE TO THE AUTHORITY OF THE START AND FINISH OF EACH PROJECT AND CONTRACTORS WOULD HAVE TO NOTIFY THE PAYMENTS THEY RECEIVED.
SURCHARGES WOULD BE IMPOSED ON PEOPLE FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THESE MEASURES, AND THE AUTHORITY WOULD SET A MINIMUM VALUE OF CONSTRUCTION WORKS BELOW WHICH THE LEVY WOULD NOT BE EXACTED.
IT WAS EXPECTED THAT THE LEVY WOULD BE SOME 0.2 PER CENT OF THE VALUE OF EACH PROJECT.
+I SHOULD MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THE BILL ALSO BINDS THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND THEIR CONTRACTS,+ SAID MR. HENDERSON.
+IT IS RIGHT THAT THIS SHOULD BE SO, SINCE, AS A MAJOR EMPLOYER, THEY ALSO BENEFIT FROM IMPROVED INDUSTRIAL TRAINING.
+IN OVERALL TERMS, FOR BOTH THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS, THERE MAY BE A FRACTIONAL RISE IN CONSTRUCTION WORK CONTRACT COSTS, BUT THIS FALLS EQUALLY ON ALL CONTRACTORS AND THROUGH THEM TO THE WIDE VARIETY OF CLIENTS, SO THAT ALL MUST TAKE THIS LEVY INTO ACCOUNT WHEN TENDERING.
+IT IS, HOWEVER, AN INVESTMENT IN OUR HUMAN RESOURCES, AND IN THE LONG TERM WILL LEAD TO MORE EFFICIENT PERFORMANCE IN THE INDUSTRY, TO THE BENEFIT OF ALL,t
HE ADDED : +1 EARNESTLY ENJOIN THE FUTURE AUTHORITY TO ENSURE THAT THE TRAINING EMPHASISES INDUSTRIAL SAFETY AND INCULCATES SAFETY CONSCIOUSNESS INTO ITS TRAINEES.+
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