MONDAY, JULY 13, 1981
4
CONSTRUCTION ATTRACTS MORE OVERSEAS SUPPLIERS
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HONG KONG'S REPUTATION FOR ITS DYNAMIC OPERATIONS, ITS HARD-WORK ING POPULACE AND ITS VAST AND CONTINUING COMMITMENT TO PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT IS FAST BECOMING RECOGNISED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, MR DAVID MCDONALD, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, SAID TONIGHT.
HE WAS ADDRESSING MEMBERS OF THE BUILDING CONTRACTORS' ASSOCIATION AT THE LU PAN (PATRON SAINT OF BUILDERS) FESTIVAL DINNER.
MR MCDONALD SAID THAT OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS SEVERAL NEW PROFESSIONAL FIRMS AND CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES FROM OVERSEAS COUNTRIES HAD ESTABLISHED A PRESENCE IN HONG KONG.
AND FROM THE DISCUSSIONS HE HAD RECENTLY WITH VARIOUS GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND OTHERS OUTSIDE HONG KONG, IT WOULD APPEAR THAT +HONG KONG CAN EXPECT A GREATER INFLOW OF FIRMS FROM EUROPE, AUSTRALIA, THE UNITED STATES AND CHINA TO PARTICIPATE DIRECTLY IN OUR INDUSTRY OR TO SUPPLY MATERIALS, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT FOR OUR PROJECTS+.
THIS, HE SAID, WOULD PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL CONCERNED +TO LEARN FROM EACH OTHER AND IMPROVE OUR TECHNIQUES, OUR EFFICIENCY AND OUR PRODUCTIVITY+.
MR MCDONALD CONGRATULATED THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY ON ITS SUCCESS IN IMPROVING ITS EFFICIENCY BY SUCH A VENTURE AS THE OPERATION OF THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY TRAINING CENTRE, ADDING THAT THE PROPOSAL TO HAVE THE SECOND TRAINING CENTRE FUNCTIONING IN 1982 WAS INDEED GOOD NEWS.
HOWEVER, HE POINTED OUT THAT THERE WERE TWO PARTICULAR PROBLEM AREAS IN WHICH THE PERFORMANCE OF THE INDUSTRY HAD BEEN
INADEQUATE.
THE FIRST WAS NOISE CONTROL.
+THE LEGISLATIVE MEASURES WHICH HAVE ALREADY BEEN INTRODUCED RESTRICTING CERTAIN NOISY OPERATIONS HAVE HAD A FAIR IMPACT AND MANY CONTRACTORS HAVE ADOPTED METHODS OF WORK AND EMPLOYED TYPES OF EQUIPMENT WHICH HAVE RESULTED IN GREATLY REDUCED NOISE LEVELS,+ HE SAID.
+GENERALLY, HOWEVER, WE HAVE NOT YET GONE FAR ENOUGH ALONG THIS ROUTE BUT THE FURTHER LEGISLATIVE MEASURES TO BE INTRODUCED IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE AND THE EXPECTED IMPROVEMENTS IN TECHNIQUES AND EFFICIENCY TO WHICH I REFERRED EARLIER SHOULD IN TIME CONSIDERABLY UPGRADE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT THE TERRITORY.+
MR MCDONALD SAID THAT THE SECOND AREA IN WHICH MORE MUST BE DONE WAS IN THE APPLICATION OF SAFER WORKING ARRANGEMENTS AND MORE RIGID CONTROL OF OPERATIONS TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE WORK FORCE.
/THE NUMBER