WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 5, 1977
CALL FOR MORE FLATTED FACTORY SPACE IN NEW TOWNS
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THE HON. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN TODAY CALLED ON THE GOVERNMENT TO ACCELERATE ITS PLANS TO PROVIDE MORE FLATTED FACTORY AND WORKSHOP SPACE IN THE NEW TOWNS FOR THE SMALLER OPERATORS.
SPEAKING DURING THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, HE SAID SUCH ACCOMMODATION COULD ONLY BE REALISTICALLY PROVIDED THROUGH THE JOINT EFFORTS OF GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE ENTERPRISE.
THIS, HE SAID, COULD BE DONE BY THE PROVISION OF MORE GOVERNMENT-BUILT FLATTED FACTORY SPACE FOR THE SMALLER FACTORIES WHICH ARE GENERALLY UNDER 1,500 SQUARE FEET IN SIZE, AND BY OFFERING FOR SALE TO PRIVATE DEVELOPERS MORE INDUSTRIAL SITES RESTRICTED TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF FACTORY UNITS VARYING BETWEEN 1,000 TO 3,000 SQUARE FEET EACH.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN ALSO THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE TIMELY TO REVIEW THE NEED TO SET UP A SEPERATE UNIT WITHIN GOVERNMENT, AUGMENTED BY UNOFFICIAL PARTICIPATION, TO CONCENTRATE ON INVESTIGATING AND ANALYSING THE NEEDS AND PROBLEMS OF SMALL-SCALE INDUSTRIES IN HONG KONG, WHETHER THEY BE FINANCIAL, TECHNICAL, MANAGEMENT, OR OTHERWISE, AND TO STUDY IN WHAT MANNER IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE FOR GOVERNMENT TO HELP THEM BECOME MORE VIABLE AND SELF-RELIANT INDUSTRIAL UNITS.
HE POINTED OUT THAT OF HONG KONG'S 20,000 INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS, LESS THAN 1,000 FACTORIES EMPLOYED HALF OF THE TOTAL WORK FORCE OF 700,000, THE OTHER HALF BEING EMPLOYED BY THE REMAINING 19,000 FACTORIES.
+WHAT IS WORTH NOTING IS THAT 16,500 FACTORIES EACH EMPLOY LESS THAN 50 WORKERS, HE SAID.
+ IT HAS BEEN ESTIMATED THAT ABOUT 69 PER CENT OF ALL FACTORIES IN HONG KONG ARE SITUATED IN NON-INDUSTRIAL PREMISES,+ HE ADDED.
WITH GOVERNMENT'S RECENTLY ANNOUNCED PROGRAMME OF ACTION AGAINST INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS IN NON-INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS, HE SAID PLANS SHOULD BE MADE TO ACCOMMODATE WORKSHOPS AND SMALL FACTORIES WHICH ARE EITHER CLEARED FROM SQUATTER AREAS OR FROM DOMESTIC BLOCKS.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN POINTED OUT THAT MUCH HARDSHIP WAS ENCOUNTERED ESPECIALLY WHEN SMALL FACTORY OPERATORS WERE CLEARED FROM DOMESTIC PREMISES.
+WHILE THEY ARE LEGALLY ENTITLED TO COMPENSATION, THEY ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR FACTORY RE-PROVISIONING IN A GOVERNMENT FLATTED FACTORY BUILDING AND IT IS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR THEM TO FIND ACCOMMODATION IN A PRIVATELY OWNED FACTORY WHERE THE MINIMUM UNIT IS AT LEAST 5,000 SQUARE FEET, HE SAID.
/+RATHER