WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 1988
NO DECISION YET ON IMPORTING LABOUR
THE QUESTION OF IMPORTING LABOUR INTO HONG KONG IS ONE WHICH HAS TO BE FINELY BALANCED AND THE GOVERNMENT HAS YET TO MAKE A DECISION ON IT, THE ACTING GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID FORD, SAID THIS (WEDNESDAY) MORNING.
SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER VISITING THE JPC FIGHT CRIME SUMMER CAMP, SIR DAVID SAID THERE WERE A LARGE NUMBER OF DIFFICULT ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED ALTHOUGH THE LABOUR SHORTAGE PROBLEM CLEARLY STOOD OUT AS ONE WHICH WAS HAVING AN ADVERSE EFFECT ON THE GOVERNMENT'S PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME AND INFLATION IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
HE SAID: "THE WAYS TO DEAL WITH IT ALSO CARRY WITH THEM GREAT RISKS RISKS IN TERMS OF THE PROBLEM OF THE LABOUR UNION REACTIONS LOCALLY, THE PROBLEM OF WAGE RATES, AND THE PROBLEM ASSOCIATED WITH IMMIGRATION OF PEOPLE COMING IN HERE.
"IT IS NOT AN EASY DECISION. THE WHOLE QUESTION IS ONE WHICH IS FINELY BALANCED. WE ARE STILL SOME WAY FROM MAKING A DECISION ON IT."
ASKED WHEN A DECISION WOULD BE MADE, SIR DAVID SAID THE CONSIDERATION WOULD CERTAINLY TAKE SEVERAL WEEKS IF NOT MONTHS BEFORE THE GOVERNMENT COULD COME TO A PRELIMINARY DECISION.
PEOPLE,
IN REPLY TO A QUESTION ON THE ISSUE OF VIETNAMESE BOAT SIR DAVID NOTED THAT THE NUMBER OF ARRIVALS HAD GONE DOWN SOMEWHAT THIS MONTH.
"IT'S TOO EARLY TO SAY WHAT THE REASONS FOR THAT ARE. IT MAY BE SEASONAL, IT MAY BE THE WEATHER, IT MAY BE A CONSCIOUS EFFORT ON BEHALF OF THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT TO CONTROL THE FLOW, HE SAID.
"AS YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE POINTS THAT WE MADE VERY STRONGLY IN THE HANOI TALKS WAS THAT WE WISH TO SEE A CONSIDERABLE REDUCTION
IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING HERE FROM VIETNAM.
F
AND WE HOPE THAT THE HANOI GOVERNMENT WILL RESPOND TO THAT AND TAKE ACTION ACCORDINGLY," SIR DAVID SAID.
"BUT I THINK IT'S TOO EARLY TO SAY WHETHER THE FIGURES WHICH WE HAVE SEEN SO FAR ARE INDICATIONS OF THAT OR NOT, HE ADDED.
ASKED WHEN THE NEXT ROUND OF TALKS WOULD BE SAID THERE WAS STILL A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE.
HI
"THE WHOLE QUESTION OF WAITING TO SKE WHAT REQUESTS TO THE HANOI GOVERNMENT TO REDUCE THE FLOW THE TIMING OF THOSE TALKS,' HE SAID.
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HELD, SIR DAVID
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