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FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 1983
+PUT IN ANOTHER WAY, AND IN RELATIVE TERMS, OUR GDP PER CAPITA WAS ROUGHLY ONE-THIRD THAT OF BRITAIN OR AUSTRALIA IN 1972, WHILE IN 1981, IT WAS A LITTLE MORE THAN HALF OF THEIRS. OF COURSE, IN VALUE TERMS
IN VALUE TERMS, THE SIZE OF OUR INCREASE BY 514 PER CENT WAS A GROWTH RATE HIGHER THAN FOR ANY TERRITORY, OTHER THAN THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA, IN THE WHOLE OF THIS MOST DYNAMIC ASIA AND PACIFIC REGION. SO WE HAVE EVERY REASON FOR SATISFACTION OVER OUR RATE OF PROGRESS DESPITE OUR HIGHER THAN DESIRED GROWTH OF POPULATION, HE ADDED.
MR HO OUTLINED TO THE INSURERS HOW THE GOVERNMENT'S INDUSTRIAL PROMOTION PROGRAMME DEVELOPED FROM ITS EMBRYONIC STAGE IN 1973 TO THE PRESENT STRENGTH UNDER WHICH, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF OVERSEAS INDUSTRIAL PROMOTION OFFICES IN TOKYO, LONDON, STUTTGART AND SAN FRANCISCO LAST YEAR. HE ADDED THAT THE RECENT RE-ORGANISATION OF THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT'S SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DIVISION: THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT STANDARDS AND CALIBRATION LABORATORY IN A YEAR'S TIME WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO THE NECESSARY SUPPORT FOR A BROADER BASE FOR OUR INDUSTRIAL DIVERSIFICATION IN KEEPING WITH MARKET TRENDS.
+WHILE WE MAINTAIN OUR ACCESS TO THE MARKETS OF THE WORLD AND UPGRADE OUR MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY AND CAPABILITY WE ARE NOT NEGLECTING THE MAINTENANCE OF OUR COMMERCIAL INTEGRITY. THE CERTIFICATION BRANCH OF THE TRADE DEPARTMENT CARRIES ON THE GOOD WORK WELL BEGUN MANY MANY YEARS AGO, WHILE THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE SERVICE CHECKS MANIFESTS AND VERIFIES THE ACCURACY OF CONSIGNMENTS AGAINST EXPORT LICENCES. THESE ARE PERHAPS AREAS OF LEAST CHANGE FROM 10 YEARS AGO WHICH FOR THAT VERY REASON IS WORTH HIGHLIGHTING.+
HE PRAISED THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE DEPARTMENT FOR ITS ACHIEVEMENTS IN COMBATTING COMMERCIAL CRIMES IN COPYRIGHT AND TRADE DESCRIPTION FIELDS. +THE ROLE OF THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN TO PROVIDE THE FRAMEWORK AND TO MAINTAIN THE INTEGRITY OF OUR OPEN TRADING SYSTEM, SO THAT OUR DYNAMIC ENTREPRENEURS CAN CONTINUE TO INVEST AND TRADE, AND OUR WORKERS APPLY THEIR INDUSTRY, IN A JUST SOCIETY IN WHICH THE RIGHTS OF THE INDIVIDUAL ARE RESPECTED AND WHERE LAW AND ORDER PREVAILS.
+PUT IN ANOTHER WAY, OUR AIM IS TO PROVIDE A QUALITY ASSURANCE COVER FOR OUR INTERNATIONAL TRADING ENVIRONMENT, IN THE SAME WAY THAT THE INSURANCE INSTITUTE STANDS FOR IMPROVING STANDARDS WHILE THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY STANDS READY TO WRITE POLICIES TO COVER LIFE AND LIMB AS WELL AS GOODS AND SERVICES,+ MR HO CONCLUDED.
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