THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1982
FINANCIAL SECRETARY URGES GREATER USE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
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HONG KONG'S ECONOMIC PROSPERITY MAY WELL DEPEND ON ITS APPROACH TO THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MARKET AND SPECIAL ATTENTION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO THIS TECHNOLOGY AS A DIVERSIFICATION OBJECTIVE.
THIS WAS STATED TODAY (THURSDAY) BY THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, MR JOHN BREMRIDGE, IN A SPEECH TO THE SEMINAR ON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY JOINTLY SPONSORED BY THE HONG KONG COMPUTING INDUSTRY FEDERATION AND THE HONG KONG MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION.
MR BREMRIDGE STRESSED THAT HONG KONG NEEDED TO INCREASE ITS COMPETITIVE EDGE IN THE WORLD MARKETS AND ONE KEY TO THIS OBJECTIVE WAS THE GREATER USE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY,
+WE NEED THUS TO MAKE MORE PRODUCTIVE OUR ADMINISTRATIVE, BANK ING, AND TRAVEL SECTORS, OUR MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES AND PUBLIC UTILITIES, HE SAID.
HE ADDED THAT NEVERTHELESS, HONG KONG HAD THE BENEFIT OF CONSIDERABLE EXPERIENCE IN EFFICIENT TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND COMPUTERS, AT LEAST FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES.
*COMBINE THIS WITH THE RAPID GROWTH OF OUR ELECTRONICS ASSEMBLY INDUSTRY, AND IT STRONGLY SUGGESTS THAT WE SHOULD GIVE SPECIAL ATTENTION TO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AS A SPECIFIC DIVERSIFICATION OBJECTIVE, MR BREMRIDGE REMARKED.
HE SAID THAT WHILE ACHIEVING THIS OBJECTIVE WOULD PRIMARILY BE A TASK FOR INDUSTRY ITSELF, THE GOVERNMENT WAS PREPARED TO ACT AS A CATALYST.
+IN FACT, IN THE LAST YEAR WE HAVE, THROUGH THE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT BOARD, APPROVED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN ELECTRONICS TOPICS TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT HK$6 MILLION, WHILE OTHERS ARE UNDER CONSIDERATION BY OUR ADVISORY COMMITTEES,+ HE POINTED OUT.