2
that they will accept nothing but the highest international standards for
the Governor's Award.
You have expressed your regret, Mr Chairman, that comparatively
few manufacturers have felt sufficiently confident to submit their products
for scrutiny of the judging panel: it may be lack of confidence, it may
be that some were chary of putting newly-designed products on display for
fear of pirating don't they know that the days when the motto for those
-
few (never many) unscrupulous Hong Kong manufacturers was "you make it we
fake it are hopefully
-
-
long over? It may, of course, be that others
+
simply could not be bothered.
Whatever the reason, it is a pity: a pity
because, in those long years ago in 1969, it seemed to those of us involved
in setting up the Design Council that Hong Kong for far too long had been
a workshop, that we relied too much on manufacturing to order, often under
licence: we were keen to see, as you have indicated Mr u, Hong Kong moving
away from its contracting role to producing goods of our own design, as well
as manufacture. There have been notable successes, and I am pleased to
acknowledge them: but honesty requires us this evening to admit too that
we remain still very much in the old pattern - selling production. It is
clearly still very profitable otherwise Hong Kong manufacturers would not be
doing it: but looking to the future, Mr Chairman, there can be no doubting
that your Council still has a great deal to do. The way ahead lies still
and, I agree with you,
with improving quality, market diversification,
not only up-grading our technology but our design standards too.
As we move into the '80s, it is of interest to look back briefly
to what has been achieved in the past 10 years. In 1969 our domestic
exports were valued at 10 000 million: in 1979 it looks like being some
56 000 million an increase of 432 per cent, or, in real terms 132 per
cent.
―
Remarkable by any standards - even Hong Kong's.
/But we
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