FRIDAY, MARCH 4, 1977
'GOOD TIMES AHEAD FOR CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY',
SAYS P.W.D. DIRECTOR
*****
THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, MR. DAVID MCDONALD, THIS EVENING PREDICTED A BRIGHT YEAR FOR HONG KONG'S CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY.
HE SAID THE INDUSTRY STOOD ON THE THRESHOLD OF A PERIOD OF INTENSE ACTIVITY AND HE URGED BUILDERS AND DEVELOPERS TO BRACE THEMSELVES FOR THE PRESSURES WHICH WOULD ACCOMPANY THE ON-COMING CONSTRUCTION BOOM.
+THERE ARE, AS A ONCE-POPULAR SONG SAID, 'GOOD TIMES COMING' + HE TOLD A DINNER MEETING OF THE HONG KONG BRANCH OF THE INSTITUTION OF STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS. *THE TEST WILL BE WHETHER OR NOT THE
INDUSTRY CAN MEET ALL THE DEMANDS WHICH WILL BE MADE UPON IT.
MR. MCDONALD SAID THERE HAD BEEN A RESURGENCE OF INTEREST IN BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR AS EVIDENCED BY THE HIGH NUMBER OF PLANS FOR NEW PRIVATE BUILDINGS APPROVED LAST YEAR BY THE P.W.D.'S BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE. THESE AMOUNTED TO 723,37 PER CENT MORE THAN IN 1975.
COUPLED TO THIS, VARIOUS LARGE SCALE PROJECTS SUCH AS THE
MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY WERE ALREADY IN FULL SWING, AND THE GOVERNMENT WOULD ALSO BE PRESSING AHEAD WITH ITS OWN CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMME HE SAID.
ANOTHER FACTOR WHICH AUGURED WELL FOR THE FUTURE WAS THE VERY LARGE CONCENTRATION OF CONSTRUCTION EXPERTISE NOW IN HONG KONG PROBABLY THE GREATEST EVER, HE SAID.
ENGINEERS RECRUITED BY THE MASS TRANS IT RAILWAY CORPORATION
HAD BROUGHT WITH THEM VALUABLE EXPERIENCE GAINED FROM
OTHER PARTS IN THE WORLD AND MORE SKILLED STAFF HAD BEEN IMPORTED BY ESTABLISHED CONSULTANT FIRMS.
IN ADDITION, NEW CONSULTANT FIRMS WERE OPENING OFFICES IN HONG KONG, HE SAID.
+MY OWN DEPARTMENT HAS ALSO BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN RECRUITING FROM ABROAD QUITE A LARGE NUMBER OF ENGINEERS AND MEN OF ASSOCIATED PROFESSIONS OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS, HE ADDED.
MR. MCDONALD EMPHASISED HOWEVER THAT RECRUITMENT OF OVERSEAS EXPERTISE DID NOT MEAN THAT HONG KONG COULD IGNORE ITS OWN CAPABILITY TO PRODUCE QUALIFIED ENGINEERS, ARCHITECTS, SURVEYORS AND CONTRACTORS.
HONG KONG'S EDUCATIONAL ESTABLISHMENTS EACH YEAR TURNED OUT A LARGE NUMBER OF QUALIFIED YOUNG PEOPLE MANY OF WHOM WERE EAGER TO SUPPLEMENT THEIR ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS WITH PROFESSIONAL AND PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE.
/+THE PRACTICAL