MONDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1980
2
APSDEP WAS ORGANISED BY THE ILO WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME ON THE REQUEST OF THE LABOUR MINISTERS OF ASIA AND THE PACIFIC IN 1975. A PREPARATORY MEETING MET IN SEPTEMBER 1978 TO CONFIRM APSDEP'S DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES.
MR DIAZ SAID THE PROGRAMME'S AIMS INCLUDE THE PROMOTION
OF VOCATIONAL TRAINING BY MEANS OF CO-OPERATION BETWEEN COUNTRIES OF THE REGION.
+ IT IS IN CONNECTION WITH THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF APSDEP DIRECTED TOWARDS THE FIELD OF APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING THAT WE ARE HOLDING THIS MEETING.
+AN ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENT, IF APSDEP IS TO FULFIL ITS OBJECTIVES, IS THE WILLING CO-OPERATION OF ITS MEMBERS. AN EXAMPLE OF THIS KIND OF CO-OPERATION CAN BE FOUND IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH RESULT IN US BEING HERE TODAY, HE ADDED.
SIR JACK OPENS LANDMARK' IN CENTRAL
*****
THE PROVISION OF SPACE FOR PARKS AND GARDENS IN THE COMMERCIAL AREAS OF HONG KONG CANNOT BE ACHIEVED BY GOVERNMENT ALONE, BUT CAN ONLY BE ACHIEVED THROUGH THE COOPERATION OF PRIVATE DEVELOPERS AND LANDOWNERS.
SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF HONGKONG LAND'S 'LANDMARK' IN CENTRAL DISTRICT, THE CHIEF SECRETARY SIR JACK CATER SAID THIS WAS REALISED BY MR VERNON ROBERTS, FORMER DIRECTOR AND GENERAL MANAGER OF THE COMPANY WHEN HE EXPLAINED TO HIM HIS VISION FOR THE BUILDING, IN PARTICULAR THE PLAZA:
+1 WANT HONG KONG TO HAVE A FOCAL POINT RIGHT HERE IN THE HEART OF OUR CITY. I WANT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG TO SEE IT AND USE IT AS THEIR CENTRE. I WANT BANDS PLAYING HERE AT LUNCH TIME, I WANT CENTRAL TO BE ALIVE AT NIGHT A PLACE FOR THE PEOPLE TO ENJOY.+
SIR JACK SAID BY INGENUITY AND IMAGINATIVE USE OF DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL, LEISURE AREAS CAN BE CREATED AND WITH THE CAREFUL INTEGRATION OF SHOPS AND RESTAURANTS, THEY CAN STILL BE COMMERCIALLY VIABLE.
REFERRING TO A RECENT SPEECH BY THE COMPANY'S PRESENT DIRECTOR AND GENERAL MANAGER, MR TREVOR BEDFORD, IN WHICH HE CRITICISED THOSE LANDLORDS AND PROPERTY COMPANIES WHOSE MOTIVE WAS GREED, WHO THOUGHT ONLY OF PROFITS AND NEVER OF THE IR TENANTS, SIR JACK SAID:
HE WAS, IN ONE SENSE, REPEATING A COMPANY POLICY WHICH HAS BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR LONG TIME: A RENTAL POLICY WHICH WAS RE-STATED IN 1948 IN THE CLEAREST OF TERMS, +
HE THOUGHT T VALUABLE AND EXEMPLARY THAT HE SHOULD REPEAT ITS