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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1981
+ALTHOUGH THE GOVERNMENT GOES BY THE NON-INTERFERENCE POLICY,
THE IT DOES NOT JUST TAKE ON A SPECTATOR'S ROLE FOR EVERY CASE. GOVERNMENT DOES NOT OFFER ANY DIRECT SUBSIDIES OR RELIEF BUT IN FACT, IT DOES A LOT INDIRECTLY TO BOOST INDUSTRIES.
+TO ASSIST INDUSTRIAL DIVERSIFICATION, THE GOVERNMENT PROVIDES FACILITIES WITH WHICH INDUSTRIES HAVING POTENTIAL AND NEEDED IN HONG KONG CAN LAUNCH THEIR DEVELOPMENT HERE.
+WITH THE EXISTENCE OF INDUSTRIAL ESTATES, THOSE INDUSTRIES WHICH CANNOT OPERATE IN FLATTED FACTORIES CAN STILL ESTABLISH IN HONG KONG. THE POLYTECHNIC, PRE-VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS AND CLOTHING AND CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY TRAINING AUTHORITY ALL CONTRIBUTE TO THE TRAINING OF QUALIFIED PERSONNEL FOR THE INDUSTRIAL SECTORS, + HE SAID.
+ IN AN EFFORT TO ASSIST THE INDUSTRY TO MOVE UP TO HIGHER LEVEL OF TECHNOLOGY, THE DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRY HAS SET UP A NEW SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DIVISION TO CO-ORDINATE THE TECHNOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF INDUSTRY. AN IMPORTANT TASK OF THE DIVISION IS TO ESTABLISH AN ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS CALIBRATION LABORATORY FOR SERVICING THE ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY.
+THE DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRY HAS CONTINUED TO FOCUS ITS INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES ON THE PROMOTION OF INDUSTRI AL INVESTMENTS.
+ IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, THE DEPARTMENT WILL OPEN OFFICES IN JAPAN, THE UNITED KINGDOM, THE UNITED STATES AND THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY. THIS WILL UNDOUBTEDLY ENHANCE THE ACTIVITIES OF INVESTMENT PROMOTION AND TECHNOLOGICAL TRANSFER.
+THE PROMOTION OF INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENTS IS NOT A SERVICE
BUT IS ALSO AVAILABLE PROVIDED EXCLUSIVELY FOR PEOPLE OVERSEAS FOR LOCAL INDUSTRIALISTS SEEKING ACCESS TO NEW AND ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY, SAID MR TSAO.
COMPETITION FROM THE INDUSTRIES OF OUR NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES WAS GENERALLY DEVELOPING FAST, WITH LOWER LABOUR COSTS THAN IN HONG KONG, AND OUR COMPETITIVENESS IN INTERNATIONAL MARKETS FOR SOME PRODUCTS HAD ALREADY BEEN AFFECTED.
+OUR PLASTICS INDUSTRY HAS BEEN FORCED TO MOVE UP MARKET, AND CLOCK AND WATCH MANUFACTURERS CAN NO LONGER RELY ON MECHANICAL ONES. OUR SPINNING AND WEARING INDUSTRIES, ONCE PILLARS OF HONG KONG'S MODERN INDUSTRY, CANNOT NOW AFFORD TO ADJUST TO OUTSIDE PRESSURES. HE SAID. +THOSE RESISTANT TO CHANGE MAY STILL SURVIVE, BUT ARE UNLIKELY TO FLOURISH.+
MR TSAO SAID HONG KONG'S WEAKNESSES INCLUDING LIMITED LAND, LACK OF RESOURCES, SOARING LABOUR COSTS, AND OVER-CONCENTRATED INDUSTRIES MAY BE EXPLOITED BY OUR COMPETITORS.
+ IT IS THEREFORE IMPORTANT TO IDENTIFY OUR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES, AND THAT OUR INDUSTRY AIMS AT 'TECHNOLOGY INTENSIVE" DEVELOPMENT, STRESSED MR TSAO.
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