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TUESDAY, MAY 10, 1983
+THE GOVERNMENT IS ALSO STRENGTHENING THE INDUSTRIAL SUPPORT FACILITIES AND TECHNICAL BACK-UP SERVICES WHICH ARE NEEDED BY HONG KONG IN HARNESSING NEW TECHNOLOGY, THE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT BOARD HAS ENDORSED, OR IS CONSIDERING A NUMBER OF PROJECTS AIMED AT AIDING THE PROCESS OF DIVERSIFICATION AND ENTRY INTO AN ERA OF HIGH TECHNOLOGY. IT IS ENVISAGED THAT WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE PROJECTS, HONG KONG'S INDUSTRY SHOULD BE IN A BETTER POSITION TO COPE WITH THE NEW CHALLENGES WHICH LIE AHEAD,+ MR HO CONCLUDED.
NEW APPROACH TO STATISTICS GATHER ING
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A COMPUTERISED SYSTEM FOR COMPILING SHIPPING, PORTS AND CARGO STATISTICS IS NOW IN OPERATION, PROVIDING ADEQUATE DATA FOR PROPER PLANNING OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF PORT FACILITIES AND OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SHIPPING BUSINESS.
THIS WAS DISCLOSED TODAY (TUESDAY) BY THE COMMISSIONER FOR CENSUS AND STATISTICS, MR COLIN GREENFIELD.
ADDRESSING A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE LIONS CLUB OF LION ROCK, MR GREENFIELD SAID THAT THIS WAS A MAJOR DEVELOPMENT, CONSIDERING THAT HONG KONG'S ASSET OTHER THAN ITS PEOPLE, IS ITS FINE HARBOUR AND THAT HONG KONG IS THE THIRD LARGEST CONTAINER PORT IN THE WORLD.
THE DATA GATHERED THROUGH THE SYSTEM WILL SHOW THE TYPE OF GOODS SHIPPED BY SEA, THEIR QUANTITY AND VOLUME, AND THEIR PORTS OF ORIGIN AND DESTINATION.
*AT PRESENT, A 20 PER CENT SAMPLE OF CONSIGNMENTS IS TAKEN TO ARRIVE AT THE ESTIMATES, BUT DEPENDING UPON OTHER DEVELOPMENTS OCCURRING IN THE COMPUTER SYSTEM FOR OUR TRADE STATISTICS, IT MAY BE POSSIBLE TO HAVE 100 PER CENT COVERAGE IN TIME, MR GREENFIELD SAID.
THE DEPARTMENT WAS ALSO REDESIGNING ITS PROGRAMME OF ECONOMIC SURVEYS WHICH WOULD RESULT IN A SAVING OF 11 PER CENT OR 18 MILLION OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, MR GREENFIELD DISCLOSED.
THE PROGRAMME HAS BEEN IN OPERATION FOR 10 YEARS AND THE DEPARTMENT HAS JUST COMPLETED COVERAGE OF ALL SECTORS OF THE ECONOMY PLANNED FOR INCLUSION, HE SAID.
THE AIM OF THE SURVEYS IS TO ASCERTAIN THE STRUCTURE, OPERATING CHARACTERISTICS AND TRENDS OVER TIME OF HONG KONG'S VARIOUS ECONOMIC SECTORS, TOGETHER WITH THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO THE GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT.
+UNDER THE PROGRAMME, WHAT WE CALL A BENCHMARK CENSUS' WITH A VERY DETAILED QUESTIONNAIRE AND LARGE SAMPLE SIZE - WAS UNDERTAKEN IN EACH SECTOR ONCE EVERY FIVE YEARS WITH A SIMPLER SURVEY - A SHORTER QUESTIONNAIRE AND SMALLER SAMPLE SIZE — IN THE INTERVENING YEARS,+ HE EXPLAINED.
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