TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1981
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+THERE CANNOT BE ANY MAJOR SECTOR OF OUR TRADING, MANUFACTURING AND SERVICE INDUSTRIES IN WHICH THERE IS NOT NOW SIGNIFICANT INDIAN INVOLVEMENT.
+ACCURATE FIGURES ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO OBTAIN, BUT I HAVE HEARD AND BELIEVE RELIABLE, ESTIMATES WHICH PLACE AT AROUND TEN PER CENT THE INDIAN BUSINESS COMMUNITY'S SHARE IN OUR EXTERNAL TRADE,+ HE SAID.
MR DORWARD OUTLINED THE INDIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO HONG KONG FROM THE EARLY DAYS, INVOLVING, FOR EXAMPLE, THE BUILDING OF THE THREE TOP HOTELS, THE STARTING OF THE STAR FERRY, THE FORMATION OF ALL THE EARLY BANKS AND, IN 1911, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG.
MR DORWARD SAID THAT THE PARSIS TENDED TO DOMINATE THE EARLY YEARS, AND IT WAS PERHAPS ONLY IN THE LAST 30 YEARS OR SO THAT THE OTHER IND FAN COMMUNITIES, NOTABLY THE SINDHIS, EMERGED AS A MAJOR ECONOMIC FORCE IN HONG KONG.
+ONE CANNOT BUT ADMIRE THE SKILL AND TENACITY WITH WHICH INDIAN BUSINESSMEN HAVE CARVED A PLACE FOR THEMSELVES IN THE EXPANDING TRADE OF HONG KONG IN RECENT YEARS,+ HE SAID.
NO SHORT CUT TO DRIVING LICENCES
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THE GOVERNOR-IN-COUNCIL HAS UPHELD A DECISION BY THE COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT NOT TO ISSUE HONG KONG DRIVING LICENCES TO HOLDERS OF DRIVING LICENCES OBTAINED OVERSEAS IF HE IS NOT SATISFIED THAT THEY ARE FULLY QUALIFIED TO DRIVE.
UNDER THE DIRECT ISSUE SYSTEM, THE COMMISSIONER MAY ISSUE A DRIVING LICENCE TO AN APPLICANT WHO SATISFIES HIM THAT. WITHIN THE PAST THREE YEARS, HE HAS HELD A DRIVER'S CERTIFICATE OR LICENCE ISSUED AFTER THE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF A TEST OF COMPETENCE BY A COMPETENT AUTHORITY IN ANY COUNTRY LISTED IN THE FIFTH SCHEDULE.
THE DECISION OF THE GOVERNOR-IN-COUNCIL WAS IN RESPONSE TO A PETITION LODGED BY A MAN WHO HAD CHALLENGED THE COMMISSIONER'S AUTHORITY TO REFUSE HIM THE DIRECT ISSUE OF A HONG KONG DRIVING LICENCE IN EXCHANGE FOR A LICENCE ISSUED IN CHINA DURING A BRIEF STAY.
A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID IT WOULD BE IRRESPONSIBLE TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO DRIVE ON HONG KONG ROADS WHEN THE IR QUALIFICATIONS WERE IN DOUBT, PUTTING AT RISK OTHER ROAD USERS.
+THE DIRECT ISSUE SYSTEM IS PART OF AN INTERNATIONAL ARRANGEMENT WHICH RECOGNISES LICENCES ISSUED IN OTHER COUNTRIES, BUT IT WAS NEVER INTENDED AS A 'SHORT CUT FOR RESIDENTS WISHING TO FIND AN EASY WAY TO AVOID THE STRICT STANDARDS REQUIRED IN HONG KONG'S DRIVING TESTS, THE SPOKESMAN ADDED.