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WEDNESDAY JANUARY 14, 1987
SUCH REVIEWS SHOULD BE CONDUCTED EVERY THREE TO FIVE YEARS AND SHOULD BE DETAILED, OBJECTIVE AND COVER AREAS SUCH AS PERFORMANCE TO DATE, FUTURE PROSPECTS AS WELL AS IDENTIFICATION OF PROBLEM AREAS NEEDED TO BE ADDRESSED.
+ARMED WITH RESULTS FROM SUCH REVIEWS, I BELIEVE THE GOVERNMENT WOULD BE IN A BETTER POSITION TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT EFFECTIVE POLICIES DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE AND FACILITATE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF EACH COMPONENT OF THE INDUSTRIAL SECTOR,+ HE SAID.
AS HONG KONG PROGRESSED ECONOMICALLY, EDUCATIONALLY AND SOCIALLY, THE QUALITY OF THE FUTURE WORKFORCE WOULD MOST LIKELY BE BETTER SUITED FOR HIGHER TECHNOLOGICAL INDUSTRIES.
MR CHEONG SAID THAT HAVING ANALYSED THE STATE OF MOST COMPONENTS OF THE INDUSTRIAL SECTOR, HE BELIEVED FURTHER EXPANSION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE ELECTRONIC AND ELECTRICAL SECTOR WOULD BE CRUCIAL IN MEETING FUTURE JOB OPPORTUNITY DEMANDS IN HONG KONG.
THIS SECTOR HAD IN THE PAST CONCENTRATED ON ASSEMBLY TYPE OPERATIONS AND HAD BEEN HEAVILY DEPENDENT ON ASIAN COUNTRIES FOR BASIC COMPONENTS SUPPORT.
IF THIS STATE OF AFFAIRS CONTINUED THE SECTOR'S GROWTH POTENTIAL WOULD MOST LIKELY BE CONSTRAINED OR HAMPERED.
THEREFORE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MORE BASIC ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS INDUSTRY SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED IN HONG KONG.
+ THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD LOSE NO TIME IN REVIVING, DEVISING AND IMPLEMENTING POLICIES THAT COULD CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS LAYING A GOOD FOUNDATION TO OUR FUTURE ECONOMIC GROWTH, + HE SAID.
REFERRING TO MODERNISATION POLICIES OF CHINA, MR CHEONG SAID HONG KONG WAS WELL PLACED AS A BASE FROM WHICH TO EFFECT TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER.
+ THE GOVERNMENT MUST START FORGING CLOSER LINKS WITH THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT IN CHINA SO AS TO IDENTIFY AREAS WHERE CLOSER CO-OPERATION WILL BRING MUTUAL ECONOMIC BENEFITS TO BOTH COMMUNITIES,+ HE SUGGESTED.
SUCH A COURSE OF ACTION WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO CHINA AND HONG KONG WOULD GAIN THROUGH CREATION OF MORE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
MR CHEONG ALSO SAID THAT AS HONG KONG'S MANUFACTURING SECTOR WAS TOTALLY DEPENDENT ON EXTERNAL MARKETS IT WAS VITAL THE EFFECTIVE COMPETITIVENESS OF INDUSTRY WAS MAINTAINED.
/HOWEVER,
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