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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1984
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE HEALTH AND WELFARE BRANCH ADDED THAT ADVICE ON THE ACTUAL ALLOCATION OF GOVERNMENT SUBVENTIONS TO SOCIAL WELFARE AGENCIES AND OF GRANTS AND LOANS FROM THE LOTTERIES FUND WILL CONTINUE TO BE GIVEN BY A SEPARATE COMMITTEE WORKING WITHIN THE PRIORITIES AND POLICY GUIDELINES LAID DOWN BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
HOWEVER WHEREAS THIS SEPARATE COMMITTEE WAS PREVIOUSLY ONLY A SUB-COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIAL WELFARE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, IT WILL IN FUTURE BE UPGRADED TO A COMMITTEE IN ITS OWN RIGHT, AND WILL BE CHAIRED BY THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE. IT WILL BE CALLED THE SUBVENTIONS AND LOTTERIES FUND ADVISORY COMMITTEE, HE SAID.
OPTICAL GOODS GEARED FOR MORE GROWTH
*****
THE OPTICAL INDUSTRY IN HONG KONG IS EXPECTED TO EXPAND FURTHER AND PLAY A LARGER PART IN THE LOCAL INDUSTRIAL SCENE.
THIS WAS STATED TODAY (FRIDAY) BY THE SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY, MR E.P. HO WHEN HE OPENED THE FOUR-DAY HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL OPTICS FAIR AT THE HONG KONG EXHIBITION CENTRE.
+TWENTY YEARS AGO, OUR EXPORTS OF OPTICAL GOODS AMOUNTED TO ABOUT $8 MILLION ONLY. BY 1973, HOWEVER, THEY WERE $28 MILLION, AND BY 1983 THEY HAD REACHED $355 MILLION. INDICATIONS ARE THAT EXPORTS THIS YEAR WILL AGAIN REGISTER IMPRESSIVE GROWTH AND THUS SET YET ANOTHER RECORD, MR HO SAID.
HE POINTED OUT THAT ALTHOUGH THE INDUSTRY WAS STILL RELATIVELY SMALL IN TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT AND ITS SHARE OF HONG KONG'S EXPORTS, IT IS BELIEVED TO BE AN INDUSTRY WELL SUITED TO HONG KONG.
MR HO SAID THAT MANUFACTURERS OPERATING HERE MUST KEEP THEMSELVES INFORMED ABOUT THE LATEST TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN THE INDUSTRY, AND TAKE THE INVESTMENT DECISIONS REQUIRED TO KEEP UP WITH THEM.
+1 AM ENCOURAGED BY THE LARGE NUMBER OF OVERSEAS PARTICIPANTS AT THIS FAIR, WHICH I TAKE AS A SIGN THAT THE POTENTIAL OF OUR OPTICAL
AT THIS MUSTRY, AND OF HONG KONG AS A MARKET, HAVE GAINED
INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION, MR HO SAID.
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