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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4, 1984
INDUSTRIAL PROMOTION HELPED BY LOWER LAND COSTS
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THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT IS NOW IN A MUCH STRONGER POSITION TO PR MOTE HONG KONG AS A MANUFACTURING BASE, AS UNLIMITED SPACE FOR INDUSTRY IS AVAILABLE AT VERY COMPETITIVE PRICES, THE DEPARTMENT'S PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT, MAJOR C.G. BERNARD SAID TODAY.
SPEAKING TO THE ROTARY CLUB OF SHA TIN, HE POINTED OUT THAT IN THE PAST HONG KONG'S INDUSTRIAL PROMOTIONAL EFFORTS HAD BEEN HANDICAPPED BY THE LACK OF CHEAP LAND FOR THOSE INDUSTRIES WHICH REQUIRED LOTS OF SPACE, HEAVY FLOOR LOADINGS, HIGH CEILINGS AND LONG PRODUCTION LINES.
+THIS IS ALL CHANGED NOW WITH THE CREATION OF THE TWO INDUSTRIAL ESTATES AT TAI PO AND YUEN LONG AND THE DRAMATIC FALLS IN LAND AND FACTORY ACCOMODATION PRICES OVER THE LAST YEAR.
+WE NOW HAVE UNLIMITED SPACE FOR INDUSTRY AVAILABLE AT VERY COMPETITIVE PRICES, HE SAID.
IN ADDITION TO THESE INDUSTRIAL ESTATES ABOUT 800 000 SQUARE METRES OF COMPLETED INDUSTRIAL FLOOR SPACE ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE OR RENT, HE ADDED.
+ IN OTHER WORDS WE NOW HAVE A STRONG BUYERS MARKET OF WHICH A NUMBER OF EXISTING MANUFACTURING COMPANIES HAVE TAKEN AND ARE NOW TAKING ADVANTAGE, HE SAID.
ANOTHER ADVANTAGE WAS THE EXCELLENT PRODUCTIVE LABOUR AVAILABLE AND THE CONSISTENTLY PROVEN LOW LABOUR COST IN RELATION TO THE UNIT COST OF PRODUCTION, HE SAID,
+ BELIEVE WE CAN HOLD OUR OWN AGAINST MOST COMPETITION IN THIS REGION PROVIDED WE AIM TO MOVE UP MARKET INTO THE PRODUCTION OF HIGH VALUE AND HIGH VALUE ADDED QUALITY PRODUCTS. THIS IS IN FACT HAPPENING NOT ONLY IN OUR ELECTRONICS AND ENGINEERING INDUSTRIES BUT ALSO WITH, FOR EXAMPLE DOMESTIC ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES AND OUR GARMENT INDUSTRY WHICH DESPITE PROTECTIONISM IN OUR MAJOR OVERSEAS MARKETS CONTINUES TO HOLD ITS OWN.
+THERE ARE ALSO SIGNS THAT OUR TEXTILE INDUSTRY WHICH HAS BEEN DECLINING IN RELATIVE AND REAL TERMS DURING THE LAST THREE YEARS IS STABILISING AND BEGINNING TO FOLLOW THE GARENT INDUSTRY IN MOVING UP MARKET AND INSTALLING THE MOST MODERN MACHINERY,+ HE SAID.
MAJOR BERNARD POINTED OUT THAT HIS DEPARTMENT ALSO HAD AN INCREASING ROLE IN DOMESTIC INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENT.
+ IT IS A FACT THAT, ALTHOUGH OVERSEAS INVESTMENT HAS BEEN OF GREAT AND IN MANY CASES VITAL IMPORTANCE, FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR ELECTRONICS AND PRINTING INDUSTRIES FOR EXAMPLE, AND THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS, IT ACCOUNTS FOR ONLY 10 PER CENT OF INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENT IN HONG KONG. THE BULK HAS BEEN GENERATED IN HONG KONG BY HONG KONG ENTREPRENEURS AND IT IS CLEAR THAT LOCAL INVESTMENT WILL CONTINUE TO BE A DOMINANT FEATURE OF HONG KONG'S MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY ALBEIT WITH VITAL TECHNOLOGICAL ASSISTANCE FROM OVERSEAS.+
/A RECENT