THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1981
22
IT IS REPORTED THAT IN THE THIRD QUARTER OF 1980, A TOTAL OF 2 479 MEDIUM AND SMALL FACTOR IES SUSPENDED PRODUCTION - A TWO-FOLD INCREASE OVER THE NUMBER (1 227) FOR THE SAME PERIOD IN 1979, SHE SAID.
+HOW FAR INDEED HAS THE 'NON-INTERVENTIONIST' FREE ECONOMY AFFECTED HONG KONG?+ SHE ASKED.
+OUR EFFORTS IN DIVERS IF ICATION HAVE BEEN THWARTED BY HIGH LAND PRICES WHICH PUSHED THE COST OF SETTING UP NEW FACTORIES TO SUCH HIGH LEVELS.
+SINCE 1978, SMALL FACTORIES, WHICH WERE RECOGNISED TO HAVE BEEN A BIG CONTRIBUTORY FACTOR TO HONG KONG'S INDUSTRY AND STANDING THEN AT SOME 37 000 ESTABLISHMENTS, HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY ASSISTANCE IN TECHNOLOGY OR FACTORY LAND. THE SMALL FACTORY LOAN SCHEME HAD ALSO SUBSIDED IN 1976.+
ON THE CONTRARY, MISS TAM CONTINUED, SOUTH KOREA HAS IMPLEMENTED A NUMBER OF POLICIES TO HELP MEDIUM AND SMALL INDUSTRIES WHICH NOW STAND AS PEERS OF HONG KONG. THESE INCLUDE THE SETTING UP OF THE COUNCIL OF SMALL INDUSTRY POLICY TO PROVIDE CAPITAL, TECHNOLOGY, EXPORT AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES AND THE BUREAU OF SMALL BUSINESS TO HELP SPECIALISATION AND MERGING OF SMALL BUSINESS.
ALTHOUGH SHE REALISED THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN INCREASING THE STOCK OF INDUSTRIAL FACTORY SPACE, MISS TAM HOPED THAT IT WILL NOW ALLOCATE LAND TO ESTABLISH INDUSTRIAL ESTATES FOR SMALL FACTOR IES TO ENABLE SMALL FACTORY OWNERS TO ACQUIRE THE IR OWN FACTORY PREMISES.
SHE ALSO CALLED ON THE GOVERNMENT TO SHOW ITS EMPHASIS AND CONCERN BY SETTING UP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE A BODY WHICH WOULD STUDY HOW A CONCESSIONARY INTEREST RATES SCHEME COULD BE BEST RUN FOR THE BENEFIT OF MEDIUM AND SMALL INDUSTRIES.
AS A LONG-TERM MEASURE, MISS TAM SUGGESTED THAT AN INDUSTRIAL AID AGENCY, SIMILAR TO WHAT THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT HAS DONE, BE ESTABLISHED TO GIVE AID AND ADVICE WITH REGARD TO THE FOUR BASIC FACTORS OF PRODUCTION LAND, LABOUR, CAPITAL, AND ORGANISATION AND MANAGEMENT.
TURNING TO IMMIGRATION, MISS TAM HIGHLIGHTED THE NEED TO CARRY OUT A SYSTEMATIC SURVEY OF THE +GREEN SEAL IDENTITY CARD HOLDERS+ IN ORDER TO FACILITATE IMPLEMENTATION OF AN ASSIMILATION SCHEME.
SHE SAID THE PUBLIC SHOULD TREAT THE 510 000 ODD +GREEN SEAL IC HOLDERS+ AS PART AND PARCEL OF THE HONG KONG COMMUNITY. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF VOTING FIGHTS, THEY SHOULD HAVE THE SAME RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS AS ANY OTHER HONG KONG CITIZEN.
SHE NOTED THAT AMONG THEM THERE ARE MANY MUSICIANS, DANCERS, ARTISTS AND WRITERS WHO HAVE ADDED LUSTRE TO HONG KONG'S ART AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES. THERE ARE ALSC ATHLETES WHO ARE NOW TRAINING OUR YOUNG SPORTSMEN,
MISS TA JAIL
DUTIES. SHE HAD VAR IS TA ES.
IN THE COURSE OF HER URBAN COUNCIL WARD OFFICE
ACROSS MANY +GREEN SEAL IC HOLDER+ WORKING IN
/BUT SHE