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THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 1978
+WHILE THE GOVERNMENT HAS MADE ADMIRABLE EFFORTS IN THE PROVISION OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION AT ALL LEVELS, IT HAS NOT PLACED SUFFICIENT EMPHASIS ON THE PRACTICAL INDUSTRIAL TRAINING OF TECHNICAL MANPOWER, PARTICULARLY AT THE HIGHER TECHNICAL LEVELS, + HE SAID.
+IT WOULD BE BOTH FRUSTRATING AND POINTLESS TO TALK ABOUT BROADENING AND UPGRADING OUR TECHNOLOGICAL BASE UNLESS WE ARE PREPARED TO PROVIDE THE BASIC INGREDIENTS FOR ACHIEVING THE OBJECTIVE,+ HE ADDED.
AS REGARDS THE HIGH COST OF INDUSTRIAL LAND, HE SAID THAT THIS NOT ONLY DISCOURAGED OVERSEAS INVESTMENTS FROM COMING TO HONG KONG BUT ALSO GREATLY RESTRICTED THE PATTERN OF OUR INDUSTRIAL DEVELOP- MENT.
+THERE IS THEREFORE A NEED TO REVIEW OUR PRESENT LAND POLICY FROM THE POINT OF VIEW NOT ONLY OF PRODUCING AN AMPLE SUPPLY OF LAND BUT ALSO OF ENCOURAGING THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOME LAND-INTENSIVE HIGH TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRIES SO AS TO DEVELOP A MORE BALANCED OVERALL INDUSTRIAL BASE,+ HE SAID,
HE ADDED: + DO NOT SEE THERE IS ANYTHING WRONG IN MAKING LAND ESPECIALLY INEXPENSIVE FOR, OR IN OTHER WORDS SUBSIDISING, THOSE LAND-INTENSIVE INDUSTRIES WHICH WE WANT TO ATTRACT TO HONG KONG IF HONG KONG WILL BENEFIT ECONOMICALLY IN THE LONG RUN.+
TURNING TO THE QUESTION OF COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF PUBLIC SPENDING, MR. CHEN SUGGESTED VARIOUS WAYS FROM WHICH ADDITIONAL BENEFITS COULD BE DERIVED.
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OVERSEAS CONSULTANCY SERVICES →→ HE FELT THAT SUCH WORK COULD BE DONE ON A JOINT VENTURE BASIS BETWEEN OVERSEAS AND LOCAL CONSULTANTS TO ENSURE THAT SOME OF THE EXPERTISE SOUGHT IS RETAINED LOCALLY. FURTHERMORE THE GOVERNMENT COULD ALSO MAKE THE PROVISION OF TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR GRADUATES A CONDITION FOR THE CONSULTANT'S APPOINT- MENT.
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* PRISONS MANPOWER MR. CHEN SUGGESTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT
SHOULD MAKE FULL USE OF PRISON MANPOWER ESPECIALLY IN RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION WORK. HE ESTIMATED THAT THE ANNUAL WORK OUTPUT FROM THE PRISONERS COULD BE WORTH SOMETHING OF THE ORDER OF $30 TO $40 MILLION WHICH IS ABOUT 30 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL EXPENDITURE OF THE PRISONS DEPARTMENT.
COMMENTING ON WATER SUPPLY, MR. CHEN PRODUCED A SET OF STATISTICS WHICH SHOWED THAT TRADE' CONSUMPTION OF WATER ROSE ABOUT 94 PER CENT AND 'DOMESTIC CONSUMPTION BY 37.7 PER CENT FROM 1968 TO 1976.
WHILE THE INCREASE IN 'TRADE' USE REFLECTS THE INCREASE IN THE VOLUME OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION, COMMERCE AND SERVICES, THE INCREASE IN 'DOMESTIC' USE WOULD SHOW A CHANGE IN PEOPLE'S LIVING HABIT, SINCE THE POPULATION INCREASE IN THE SAME PERIOD WAS ONLY 16.4 PER CENT.
/+PUTTING IT .....