MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1985
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BRITISH MPS VISIT WAN CHAI
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TWO VISITING MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT, MR ROGER SIMS AND MR DONALD THOMPSON, TOURED WAN CHAI THIS (MONDAY)" AFTERNOON TO LEARN ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR THE DISTRICT.
ACCOMPANIED BY WAN CHAI DISTRICT OFFICER, MR ROGER GARCIA, THEY WALKED THROUGH LUN FAT STREET WHERE THEY WERE BRIEFED ON STREET MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS IN THE AREA, PARTICULARLY THE LACK OF OPEN SPACE.
AT THOMSON ROAD THEY WERE TOLD ABOUT DEVELOPMENT AT SOUTHORN PLAYGROUND, FOLLOWING THE OPENING OF THE MTR ISLAND LINE.
BEFORE THE TOUR, THE TWO MPS VISITED THE CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION HEADQUARTERS IN TSIM SHA TSUI AND MET THE REGIONAL SECRETARY (HONG KONG AND KOWLOON), MR BARRIE WIGGHAM.
VALUE OF QUALITY ASSURANCE STRESSED
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HONG KONG PRODUCERS ARE MORE AWARE THAN ANYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD OF THE NEED FOR STANDARDS, ALTHOUGH HONG KONG DOES NOT HAVE ANYTHING THAT COULD BE CALLED A HONG KONG STANDARD, THE DIRECTOR OF INDUSTRY, MR JOHN YAXLEY SAID TODAY.
SPEAKING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF A TRAINING SEMINAR ORGANISED BY THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION FOR STANDARDISATION (ISO) ON QUALITY ASSURANCE, CERTIFICATION AND LABORATORY ACCREDITATION AT THE NEW WORLD HOTEL, MR YAXLEY SAID, AS AN EXPORT-ORIENTATED ECONOMY HONG KONG HAD TO CONFIRM WITH ́A MULTITUDE OF DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS LAID DOWN BY THE IMPORTING COUNTRIES.
+ IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN IMPORTANT THAT MANUFACTURERS PRODUCE GOODS WHICH MEET THE DEMANDS OF CONSUMERS WHO HAVE OVER THE PAST DECADE OR SO BECOME INCREASINGLY VOCAL IN MAKING SURE THAT THEIR DEMANDS ARE HEARD AND ACTED ON.+
+ IF THEY DON'T, THEN THEY GO OUT OF BUSINESS PRETTY QUICKLY, HE SAID.
TO PROMOTE QUALITY CONSCIOUSNESS IN LOCAL MANUFACTURERS, THE GOVERNMENT OPERATES A RANGE OF LICENSING SCHEMES FOR THE IMPORT AND EXPORT OF CERTAIN COMMODITIES, PRIMARILY FOR HEALTH AND SAFETY REASONS, HE SAID.
HE SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD RECENTLY LAUNCHED THE +HONG KONG LABORATORY ACCREDITATION SCHEME (HOKLAS) TO PROVIDE A BASIC INFRASTRUCTURAL FACILITY TO ENCOURAGE BETTER QUALITY ASSURANCE IN THE TERRITORY.+
+A STANDARDS AND CALIBRATION LABORATORY SECOND TO NONE IN EAST ASIA HAS ALSO BEEN OPENED RECENTLY, + HE SAID.