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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1978
GOVERNMENT SHOULD GUIDE INDUSTRY IN DIVERS IF ICATION
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THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD GUIDE INDUSTRY TO DIVERSIFY IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION RATHER THAN TO LET THEM PROCEED ON THE IR OWN AS
IN THE PAST, THE HON. ALLEN LEE PENG-FEI SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
ALTHOUGH THIS IS NOT IN LINE WITH THE TRADITIONAL GOVERNMENT PRACTICE OF NON-INTERFERENCE+, HE THOUGHT THIS KIND OF +INTERFERENCE+ WOULD BE MOST WELCOMED BY INDUSTRY.
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IF THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT DO THIS, THE WHOLE OF HONG KONG WOULD SUFFER, BECAUSE OUR ECONOMIC SECURITY DEPENDS HEAVILY ON THE COMPETENCE OF OUR MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES.
WITHOUT PREJUDICING THE FINDINGS OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON DIVERSIFICATION, MR. LEE POINTED OUT THAT DIVERSIFICATION WITHOUT THE GOVERNMENT'S STRONG BACK ING AND GUIDANCE WILL PROCEED AT A MUCH SLOWER PACE AND WILL PREVENT US FROM COPING EFFECTIVELY WITH THE MANY PROBLEMS RESULTING FROM THE CHANGING ATTITUDES IN OUR MAJOR MARKETS.
HE ALSO SUPPORTED THE PROPOSAL FOR THE FORMATION OF AN INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL ALONG THE LINES OF THE TRADE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, TO FACILITATE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AND DIVERS IF ICATION.
BEFORE LAUNCHING OUR DIVERSIFICATION PROGRAMME. WE WOULD HAVE TO STUDY CAREFULLY WHAT TYPES OF NEW INDUSTRIES WE WANT TO INTRODUCE AND WHAT TYPES OF EXISTING INDUSTRIES WE SHOULD FURTHER EXPAND IN ORDER TO INCREASE OUR COMPETITIVE EDGE IN THE WORLD MARKET, HE SAID.
THE INDUSTRIES WE SHOULD EMPHASISE ARE THOSE TECHNOLOGY- INTENSIVE RATHER THAN LABOUR-INTENSIVE ONES, SUCH AS THOSE INVOLVED IN THE PRODUCTION OF RAW MATERIALS, MANUFACTURE OF MACHINE TOOLS, INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT, OFFICE MACHINES, AND SOPHISTICATED ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS.
TWO PROBLEMS AFFECTING THE SPEED AND EFFECTIVENESS OF DIVERS IF ICATION ARE LAND AND MANPOWER.
MR. LEE REGRETTED THAT THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT POLICY ON THE SALE OF INDUSTRIAL LAND HAS RETARDED TO A CERTAIN EXTENT THE SPEED OF INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT. THE HIGH PRICE OF LAND HAS THWARTED THE DEVELOPMENT OF MEDIUM AND SMALL INDUSTRIES AND DETERRED FOREIGN INVESTMENTS.
HE SUPPORTED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE FOR LAND PRODUCTION AND FURTHER SUGGESTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT SERIOUSLY CONSIDER WAYS AND MEANS TO ENSURE THAT THOSE DIRECTLY ENGAGED IN INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION CAN OBTAIN THE LAND AND FACTORY SPACE THEY WANT AT REASONABLE PRICES.
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