WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27, 1975
NEW COMPANIES JOIN RICE IMPORTING TRADE
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1
SEVEN NEW COMPANIES HAVE JOINED THE RICE IMPORTING BUSINESS IN HONG KONG, BRINGING TO 45 THE NUNDER OF FIRMS AUTHORISED TO
PORT RICE,
THE NEWCOMERS WERE SELECTED BY BALLOT HELD IN PUBLIC AT THE CITY HALL THIS MORNING.
THEY ARE THE MAY SUN CHAN CO., LTD, THE SUEN YUE CO., LTD, F. FELD AND CO., HIP YICK, KING'S DYEING AND WEAVING CO., YUÊN TẠI TRADING CO., AND TUNG TẠI HOLE.
A TOTAL OF 74 FIRMS TOOK PART IN THE DALLOT WHICH WAS WITNESSED BY THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, MR. ROY PORTER, MR. A.V. VERNAS, MR. M.C. LEE AND MR. P.Y. WONG, MEMBERS OF THE TRADE AND INDUSTRY ADVISORY BOARD AND MRS. 0. RAHMIN, ADMINISTRATIVE SECRETARY OF THE CONSUMER COUNCIL.
THE BASIC AIM OF INCREASING THE NUMBER OF RICE IMPORTERS IS TO EXPAND THE SCOPE FOR COMPETITION IN THE TRADE AND, BY DOING SO, TO PROTECT FURTHER THE INTEREST OF THE CONSUMER.
BUT THE INCREASE MUST BE LIMITED TO A REASONABLE NUMBER TO ENSURE THAT THE EXISTING PATTERN OF TRADE IS NOT DISRUPTED AND THAT EACH REGISTERED IMPORTER WILL HAVE SUFFICIENT BUSINESS TO MAKE IMPORTING OF RICE A VIABLE PROPOSITION,
IN A BRIEF ADDRESS PRIOR TO THE BALLOTING, THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR
OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, MR. ROY PORTER SAID:
+THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AVOIDS CONTROLS ON ITS TRADE BUT IT DOES NOT AVOID ITS RESPONSIBILITIES AND THERE ARE CLEARLY OCCASIONS WHEN, FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE PUBLIC, IT IS NECESSARY TO IMPOSE CONTROLS OF ONE TYPE OR ANOTHER UPON CERTAIN SECTORS OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY.
+THE RICE TRADE IS AN OBVIOUS CASE IN POINT. THIS IS THE STAPLE FOOD OF OUR POPULATION AND SUCH AN IMPORTANT COMMODITY SHOULD NOT BE LEFT ENTIRELY IN THE HANDS OF COMMERCIAL CONCERNS.
+LAST YEAR THERE HAD BEEN GREAT DIFFICULTIES IN THE IMPORT TRADE STEMMING LARGELY FROM CROP FAILURES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD AND THERE WAS A CONSEQUENT BIG INCREASE IN THE PRICE OF RICE. ALTHOUGH THE COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT STEPPED IN WITH STIFFER CONTROLS. INCLUDING FOR THE FIRST TIME PRICE CONTROLS, THE PUBLIC WAS ALARMED AT THE SITUATION AND AMONG OTHER THINGS FELT THAT THE
RICE TRADE HAD FOR TOO LONG BEEN IN THE HANDS OF THE SAME COMPANIES.
/+THE CONSUMER