WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 1981
TRADE FACILITATION COMMITTEE TO BE UPGRADED
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HONG KONG'S TRADE FACILITATION COMMITTEE WILL SOON BE UPGRADED TO A TRADE FACILITATION COUNCIL, MR DOUGLAS JORDAN, COMMISSIONER OF CUSTOMS AND CONTROLS, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE TWO-DAY FAR-EAST PACIFIC TRADE FACILITATION CONFERENCE ON TRADE DATA EXCHANGE MR JORDAN SAID THE NEW COUNCIL, WHICH WILL BE PROVIDED WITH A SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASED SUBVENTION, WILL BE LAUNCHED ON APRIL 1 THIS YEAR.
+THE PRESENT POTENTIAL OF TRADE FACILITATION WORK IS BOTH DAUNTING AND EXCITING,+ SAID MR JORDAN. IT SEEMS ONLY YESTERDAY THAT WE WERE CONCERNED LARGELY AND ALMOST SOLELY WITH SIMPLIFICATION OF DOCUMENTS AND DOCUMENT PREPARATION. WHILE THIS WORK STILL CONTINUES AND EXPANDS WE ARE NOW EXPLORING THOSE AREAS WHERE WE CAN DO WITHOUT DOCUMENTS ALTOGETHER AND CONDUCT OUR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION AS FAR AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT PAPER.+
EXAMINING THE POSSIBILITY OF THE 'PAPERLESS OFFICE OF THE FUTURE, MR JORDAN UNDERLINED THE EFFECTIVE USE OF VIDEO DISPLAY TUBE WORD PROCESSORS, ELECTRONIC INSTANT RECALL COMPUTER MEMORY, TELEPHONE FACSIMILE TRANSMISSION, CALCULATORS AND MINI-COMPUTERS IN SUCH A SCHEME.
ON THE TECHNOLOGY SIDE, MR JORDAN SAID THAT NEW DEVELOPMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH ELECTRONIC MACHINES FOR BUSINESS USE ARE CONSTANTLY EMERGING.
+SUCH DEVELOPMENTS CONSIDERABLY CHALLENGE TRADE FACILITATION EXPERTS. THE EXPERTS MUST KEEP ABREAST OF ALL THAT IS GOING ON AND ADJUST AND EXPAND THEIR OWN THINKING TO TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF THE CHANGING SITUATION, HE ADDED.
PAYING TRIBUTE TO THE HONG KONG TRADE FACILITATION COMMITTEE, MR JORDAN SAID THAT THE PROGRESS MADE OVER THE YEARS IS THE RESULT OF THE JOINT EFFORTS OF A NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS CONTRIBUTING TO THE COMMITTEE'S WORK FROM BOTH THE BUSINESS AND GOVERNMENT SECTORS.
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE, HE SAID: NEITHER GOVERNMENT NOR A WELL ORGANISED ORGANISATION CAN ENSURE THAT FULL AND PROPER USE IS MADE OF ALL THE WORK THAT GOES INTO TRADE FACILITATION STUDY. THE FULL SUPPORT OF THE TRADING COMMUNITY AT LARGE IS NECESSARY, AND THIS WE ALL HOPE THE NEW ORGANISATION RECEIVES.
+LIKEWISE, THE FULLEST USE SHOULD BE MADE BY TRADE OF WHAT THE NEW COUNCIL HAS TO OFFER, NOT ONLY FROM ITS OWN EXPERTISE BUT FROM THE EXPERTISE OF ORGANISATIONS OVERSEAS WITH WHICH IT IS ASSOCIATED.+
MR JORDAN STRESSED THAT THE COUNCIL SHOULD BE CONSULTED ON ALL MANNER OF PROBLEMS CONCERNING TRADING COMMUNICATION,
+ IT IS TO BE HOPED THAT THE TRADING COMMUNITY OF HONG KONG APPRECIATES THIS AND TAKES FULL ADVANTAGE OF WHAT IS AVAILABLE TO THEM AS THE NEW COUNCIL PROCEEDS WITH ITS WORK.+