THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 1982
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GIVEN THE INDUSTRIAL STRUCTURE OF HONG KONG, HE SAID,
IT WAS A QUESTION OF WHETHER WE COULD AFFORD TO LOSE OUR ESSENTIAL INDUSTRIES, SUCH AS THE TEXTILE AND GARMENT INDUSTRIES THAT THE MOST ADVANCED COUNTRIES HAD SO FIERCELY DEFENDED AGAINST.
+AS INDUSTRIALISTS, WE SEE A DECLINE NOT ONLY IN THESE SECTORS BUT ALSO IN OTHERS.
+CAN WE AFFORD NOT TO HAVE A GROWING MANUFACTURING SECTOR? IF NOT, SHOULD SOMETHING BE DONE TO STRENGTHEN THIS BACKBONE OF OUR ECONOMY? WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR OTHER SECTORS AND FOR EMPLOYMENT IF OUR MANUFACTURING SECTOR DECLINES?
+THESE QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN ON THE MINDS OF INDUSTRIAL ISTS IN MAKING THE IR PROPOSALS, CERTAINLY NOT IN SELF-INTEREST BUT RATHER FOR THE PROSPERITY TOGETHER WITH EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY, + MR LEE SAID.
HE SPELLED OUT THE FOLLOWING SPECIFIC AREAS WHERE INDUSTRIALISTS HAD MADE THEIR APPEALS KNOWN #
* LAND AND RENT INCREASE THE PRODUCTION AND SALE OF LAND
AND RELAX THE CRITERIA FOR QUALIFYING FOR THE HONG KONG
INDUSTRIAL ESTATES TO ALLOW FURTHER UTILISATION,
*
INTEREST RATES: CALL FOR ASSISTANCE IN THE FORMATION OF A FINANCIAL BODY PROPOSED BY THE FEDERATION OF HONG KONG INDUSTRIES WHICH WILL POOL LOANS SO THAT THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT WILL BE SUFFICIENT FOR IT TO BORROW FROM CHEAPER SOURCES WHICH DO EXIST OVERSEAS.
* ELECTRICITY:
CALL FOR AN ASSURANCE THAT A FAIR PRICE IS BEING PAID AND THAT AN EFFECTIVE MONITORING MACHINERY IS IN OPERATION.
* WATER CHARGES: CAUTION AGAINST INCREASES TO WATER CHARGES
BECAUSE IT AFFECTS IN PARTICULAR THE BLEACHING, DYEING AND FINISHING INDUSTRY WHICH PROVIDES AN ESSENTIAL LINK IN THE TEXTILE AND GARMENT CHAIN.
ALL THESE RISING COSTS ARE ERODING PROFIT MARGIN, MR LEE SAID.
+I BELIEVE MY VERBOSITY ON THIS SUBJECT IS VALID AND I FEEL IT NEEDS TO BE SAID THAT INDUSTRIALISTS ARE NOT SEEKING SPECIAL TREATMENT BUT ARE SINCERELY TRYING TO SEEK WAYS IN CO-OPERATION AND CO-ORDINATION WITH GOVERNMENT TO ENSURE THE FUTURE WELL-BEING OF OUR ECONOMY, HE SAID.
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