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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1984
+ACCORDINGLY, 1 HAVE EVERY CONFIDENCE THAT AS THE UNITED STATES SETTLED DOWN AFTER THE EXCITEMENT LEADING TO YESTERDAY'S ELECTIONS, AND REVIEWS ITS NEW REGULATIONS IN THE LIGHT OF THE INTERNATIONAL REACTIONS THEY HAVE EVOKED, A SPIRIT OF ACCOMMODATION WILL PREVAIL,+ MR HO SAID..
AS FOR ANY CHANGE IN THE LABOUR SUPPLY CAUSED BY AN IMPROVEMENT IN HONG KONG'S EDUCATION SYSTEM, MR HO THOUGHT THIS SHOULD BE VIEWED POSITIVELY.
+A BETTER EDUCATED LABOUR FORCE WILL ENABLE US TO MOVE UP- MARKET QUICKER AND TO PRODUCE BETTER QUALITY PRODUCTS SOONER, WITH A HIGHER INCOME AND A BETTER STANDARD OF LIVING FOR OUR WORK FORCE.
+OF COURSE, THIS MIGHT ALSO MEAN THAT WE WOULD NO LONGER BE COMPETITIVE IN PRODUCTS AT THE LOWER END OF THE MARKET, MR HO SAID,
HE CAUTIONED THAT HONG KONG'S ACCEPTANCE OF THE GATT CODE ON SUBSIDIES AND COUNTERVAILING DUTIES WAS A GOOD REASON WHY THE TERRITORY HAD TO BE CAREFUL NOT TO GET ITSELF INTO THE BLIND ALLEY OF SUBSIDIES FOR INDUSTRY.
AS REGARDS THE HON WONG PO-YAN'S HOPE THAT THE PROPOSALS IN THE HONG KONG PRODUCTIVITY CENTRE'S STUDY OF THE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY WOULD LEAD TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT LABORATORY, SUPPORTED BY A LEVY ON THE EXPORTS OF THAT INDUSTRY, MR HO SAID THAT CONSULTATIONS WITH INDUSTRY HAD NOT RESULTED IN THIS CONCLUSION.
+ IF THERE IS A CONSENSUS
IT IS THAT THE INDUSTRY DOES NOT WISH
TO CONTRIBUTE TO A LEVY TO SUPPORT A DEVELOPMENT CENTRE OR LABORATORY, MR HO SAID.
HE ADDED, THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE SHOULD NOT SEEK TO PROVIDE BASIC FACILITIES FOR SUPPORT SERVICES FOR INDUSTRY.
+THESE SERVICES INCLUDE THE STANDARDS AND CALIBRATION LABORATORY OF THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT - AND I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE KIND WORDS OF MR WONG PO-YAN IN THIS REGARD. THE INDUSTRIAL ESTATES CORPORATION, THE ONE STOP UNIT, AND THE OVERSEAS INDUSTRIAL PROMOTION OFFICES, WHICH WORK TOGETHER IN HELPING NEW AND HIGHER TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRIES ESTABLISH THEMSELVES IN HONG KONG, ARE ANOTHER EXAMPLE.+
TO ENSURE THAT TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER CAN BE FACILITATED IN THE MOST COST-EFFECTIVE MANNER, THE INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT BOARD HAS ADVISED THAT A CENTRALLY CO-ORDINATED CONCEPT BE ADOPTED WITH A TWO-PRONGED APPROACH.
MR HO SAID THAT THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR IDENTIFYING TECHNOLOGIES OR KNOW-HOW REQUIRED BY INDUSTRY.
/+ON THE