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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 1988
GOVT PROVIDES ENVIRONMENT FOR TRADE TO FLOURISH
THE GOVERNMENT BELIEVES THAT AS FAR AS POSSIBLE, BUSINESSMEN SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO MAKE THEIR OWN DECISIONS ON BUSINESS MATTERS FREE OF GOVERNMENT DIRECTION OR BUREAUCRATIC INTERFERENCE, THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF TRADE, MR TONY MILLER, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
ADDRESSING THE CHINESE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ON THE TOPIC OF "HOW THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT PROMOTES TRADE", MR MILLER SAID THE GOVERNMENT PROVIDED A FRAMEWORK OR AN ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH TRADE COULD FLOURISH.
NOTING THAT THE GOVERNMENT PLAYED A DIRECT ROLK IN FACILITATING TRADE THROUGH THE WORK OF THE TRADE DEPARTMENT, MR MILLER SAID THE TRADE DEPARTMENT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR HONG KONG'S COMMERCIAL RELATIONS WITH FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS.
IT PRESERVED HONG KONG'S ACCESS TO WORLD MARKETS, ISSUED THE NECESSARY LICENCES FOR IMPORT AND EXPORT AND ADMINISTERED THE QUOTA ARRANGEMENTS FOR GOODS UNDER RESTRAINT, HE SAID.
DOES NOT DOING
"THOUGH THE GOVERNMENT FACILITATES TRADE, IT INTERVENE IN THE ECONOMY UNLESS THERE IS A POSITIVE REASON FOR 30."
AS FOR TRADE PROMOTION, MR MILLER SAID IT WAS MAINLY THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE HONG KONG TRADE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL AND ITS WORK WAS COMPLEMENTED BY THE WORK OF SOME OTHER NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANISATIONS.
"AS HONG KONG BELIEVES IN AND IS DEPENDENT ON FREE TRADE, IT IS THEREFORE VITALLY IMPORTANT THAT IT PROTECTS ITS ACCESS ΤΟ OVERSEAS MARKETS, THROUGH ITS MEMBERSHIP OF THE GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TARIFFS AND TRADE.
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"IT ALSO MAINTAINS OFFICES IN GENEVA, BRUSSELS, LONDON AND UNITED STATES, WHICH ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR HONG KONG'S EXTERNAL ECONOMIC RELATIONS.
"THESE OFFICES KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENTS OF HONG KONG'S MAJOR MARKETS IN RELATION TO TRADE AND DISCUSS BILATERAL TRADE AND ECONOMIC PROBLEMS WITH THEM.”
MR MILLER EXPLAINED THAT UNDER THE GATT, HONG KONG WAS ALSO A SIGNATORY OF THE MULTI FIBRE ARRANGEMENT AND A NUMBER OF BILATERAL TEXTILE AGREEMENTS HAD BEEN NEGOTIATED BY HONG KONG WITH ITS TRADING PARTNERS UNDER THE MFA.
"IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE TRADE DEPARTMENT TO NEGOTIATE THESE AGREEMENTS AND TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE IMPLEMENTED SMOOTHLY I AND ABOUT HALF OF THE STAFF OF THE TRADE DEPARTMENT ARE INVOLVED IN ADMINISTERING TRADE CONTROLS ARISING FROM THESE AGREEMENTS."
HE ALSO