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THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 1989
"SUCH A REASONING IS AN OVER-SIMPLIFICATION AND IGNORES HONG KONG'S NEED FOR LONG-TERM STABILITY. WE MUST NOT FORGET THAT THE HONG KONG-U.S. DOLLAR LINK WAS INTRODUCED NOT 80 MUCH FOR ECONOMIC REASONS AS FOR POLITICAL CONSIDERATIONS, HE SAID.
HE SAID HE MUST URGE THAT THE DOLLAR LINK SHOULD NOT BE TAMPERED WITH LIGHTLY.
MR CHEONG ALSO SPOKE ON THE SHORTAGE OF "HUMAN" RESOURCES.
BECAUSE THE
HE SAID HE DID NOT USE THE TERM LABOUR SHORTAGE ISSUE HAD BEEN CHARGED WITH TOO MUCH EMOTION RATHER THAN CLEAR-HEADED RATIONAL ANALYSIS.
HE RECALLED THAT 18 MONTHS AGO WHEN THE ISSUE WAS FIRST RAISED, HE URGED GOVERNMENT ECONOMISTS TO DO A MACRO-ECONOMIC STUDY ON HOW HONG KONG'S FUTURE ECONOMIC GROWTH MIGHT BE AFFECTED IF THERE WERE то BE A PROLONGED PERIOD OF SHORTAGE OF LABOUR.
UNFORTUNATELY, HE SAID, HIS SUGGESTION HAD FALLEN ON DEAF EARS.
HE NOTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD ARGUED REPEATEDLY THAT THE LABOUR SHORTAGE PROBLEM COULD BE SOLVED BY AUTOMATION.
"SURELY THE GOVERNMENT CANNOT GO WRONG WITH STATEMENTS LIKE THIS BUT DOES THE GOVERNMENT REALISE THAT THE LABOUR SHORTAGE SITUATION IS NOT EXPERIENCED BY THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR ALONE?" QUESTIONED,
HE
HE NOTED THAT INSOFAR AS AUTOMATION WAS CONCRNED, THE LOCAL ECONOMY WAS MOVING MORE AND MORE TOWARDS A SERVICE ECONOMY. THE INGREDIENTS OF SUCCESS OF A SERVICE ECONOMY WAS THE QUALITY AND EFFICIENCY OF SERVICE ONE COULD PROVIDE. THIS WAS IN DIRECT RELATION TO STAFF JOB RATIOS.
"FOR THE SAKE OF THE FUTURE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG, I HOPE AND PRAY THAT WE WILL HAVE A FULL OR NEAR EMPLOYMENT SITUATION.
FULL
"IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THIS, WE MUST HAVE ENOUGH FORESIGHT AND COURAGE TO FACE UP TO ANY PROBLEM THAT MAY POSE A CONSTRAINT ON OUR ECONOMIC GROWTH OR THE LONG-TERM HEALTH OF OUR ECONOMY," HE SAID.
MR CHEONG SAID THE BUSINESS SECTOR'S CALL то STUDY THE IMPORTATION OF LABOUR ISSUE WAS NOT DESIGNED TO DEPRIVE THE LOCAL WORK FORCE OF THEIR CHANCE TO IMPROVE THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE OR WAGE.
"WE ARE PERFECTLY HAPPY TO SIT DOWN AND TALK ABOUT PROPOSALS THAT MAY BE WORKABLE AND ACCEPTABLE TO BOTH PARTIES, HE SAID,
THE GOVERNMENT MUST BE SEEN TO BE RATIONALLY. ANALYTICALLY AND MUST THEREFORE FOSTERING A DIALOGUE, HE SUGGESTED.
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ADDRESSING THE ISSUE TAKE THE LEAD IN
/MR CHEONG