THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1987
SPEAKING ON THE CHANGING FACE OF GOVERNMENT+, MR FORD SAID CIVIL SERVANTS WOULD HAVE TO BECOME MORE DIRECTLY ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS AND BE MORE RESPONSIVE TO PUBLIC NEEDS THE PATERNALISTIC STYLE OF GOVERNMENT WOULD NO LONGER MEET PRESENT DAY ASPIRATIONS.
+ BUT THAT SAID, BOTH THE CIVIL SERVICE AND THE PUBLIC MUST LEARN TO ACCOMMODATE EACH OTHER IN THEIR CHANGING ROLES AND THERE ARE COMPROMISES TO BE MADE ON BOTH SIDES, + HE ADDED.
DESCRIBING THE ECONOMY AS THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR AFFECTING HONG KONG'S FUTURE, MR FORD SAID THE GOVERNMENT WOULD EXTEND ITS ACTIVITIES TO CREATE A FAVOURABLE ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT AGAINST THE RISE OF PROTECTIONISM.
+QUITE UNPRECEDENTED HAS BEEN THE NEW ROLE OF THE GOVERNOR, SENIOR MEMBERS OF OMELCO AND OFFICIALS WHO HAVE ALL ENGAGED IN THE FREQUENT SHUTTLE DIPLOMACY BETWEEN HONG KONG, THE UNITED STATES, EUROPE AND THE ASIAN COUNTRIES IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS,+ MR FORD SAID.
STRESSING THAT ALL WOULD CONTINUE TO BE INVOLVED IN THE UNITED EFFORT AGAINST PROTECTIONISM WHICH STILL THREATENED US IN 1987, MR FORD SAID THE MAIN CONCERN WOULD BE THE UNITED STATES WHICH ABSORBED OVER 45 PER CENT OF OUR EXPORTS.
A PUBLIC RELATIONS CONSULTANTS FIRM HAD JUST COMPLETED A STUDY TO EVALUATE HONG KONG'S IMAGE AND PUBLIC RELATIONS STRATEGY IN THE U.S.
+ IN EUROPE A HONG KONG CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD IN BRUSSELS IN MAY AND A HIGH POWERED DELEGATION WILL ATTEND FROM HONG KONG.
+IN ASIA OUR PRIMARY OBJECT IS TO OPEN UP THE JAPANESE MARKET AND HERE AGAIN THE GOVERNMENT IS CLOSELY INVOLVED IN CO-ORDINATING EFFORTS AND IN THE PLANNING OF THE STRATEGY.+
ON ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATON, MR FORD SAID: +FOLLOWING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON DIVERSIFICATION, INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT SERVICES WILL BE EXTENDED BEYOND THE PROVISION OF INFRASTRUCTURAL SUPPORT AND TRAINING.
+WITH THE PROVISION OF INDUSTRIAL ESTATES, WE HAVE NOW MOVED INTO THE AREA OF GRANTING LAND ON COMPETITORS TERMS TO INDUSTRIES WHICH WILL HELP HONG KONG DIVERSIFY ITS PRODUCTS AND BECOME MORE SOPHISTICATED.
+MORE WILL BE DONE IN THE YEARS A HEAD TO PROVIDE BETTER MANAGEMENT TRAINING FOR STAFF AT SUPERVISORY AND MID-MANAGEMENT LEVELS IN DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES.+
THE APPLICATION OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES WOULD BE PROMOTED AND THE SCOPE OF THE EXISTING CONSULTANCY SERVICES EXTENDED, HE SAID.
/+WE WILL