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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1989
MUCH CAN BE DONE TO SECURE FUTURE: SES
TOLD
THE SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC SERVICES, MRS ANSON CHAN, BUSINESSMEN IN LONDON TODAY (THURSDAY THAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WERE NOT ALLOWING THE DOOM AND GLOOM SCENARIO TO OVERWHELM THEM.
"OUR FUTURE LIES ESSENTIALLY IN OUR OWN HANDS AND THERE IS MUCH THAT CAN BE DONE TO SECURE THAT FUTURE, SHE SAID.
SHE POINTED OUT THAT THE ECONOMY, AS ALWAYS, WAS THE KEY TO HONG KONG'S FUTURE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY.
UNDERPINNING THE GROWTH OF THE ECONOMY WAS THE ADEQUACY OF OUR PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, SHE SAID, POINTING OUT THAT OVER THE NEXT DECADE, HONG KONG HAD AMBITIOUS PLANS FOR INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENTS COVERING A NEW AIRPORT, CONTAINER TERMINALS AND OTHER NEW FACILITIES, ADDITIONAL ROAD AND RAIL LINKS, URBAN RENEWAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION MEASURES THAT WOULD TAKE HONG KONG WELL THE 21ST CENTURY.
PORT
AND
INTO
NEW SECOND STAND-ALONE WITH THE EXISTING FACILITIES,
SHE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THE TELECOMMUNICATION NETWORK, TOGETHER WOULD MAKE HONG KONG THE MOST ADVANCED AND HIGHLY COMPETITIVE COMMUNICATION CENTRE IN THE WORLD.
AND
IN THE CONTINUING LOSS OF PROFESSIONAL, MANAGERIAL ADMINISTRATIVE SKILLS FROM HONG KONG THROUGH EMIGRATION, MRS CHAN SAID IT WAS AN ISSUE OF GROWING CONCERN TO OVERSEAS INVESTORS AND THE HONG KONG OVERNMENT SHARED THIS CONCERN.
UPSURGE IN THE NET EMIGRATION
"ALTHOUGH WE ARE UNLIKELY TO SEE A DRAMATIC NUMBERS LEAVING, IT IS LIKELY THAT IN THE SHORT TERM, MIGHT BE "IGHER THAN WE HAVE SEEN IN PREVIOUS YEARS, ASSUMING THAT THE IMMIGRATION POLICIES OF OTHER COUNTRIES DO NOT CHANGE, SHE SAID.
SHE POINTED OUT THAT THE GOVERNMENT NOW HAD A BETTER IDEA OF THE PATTERN OF EMIGRATION AND A CLEARER PLAN OF ACTION AS A RESULT OF A TASK FORCE SET UP TO LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM.
"IN THE LONGER TERM, WE HAVE A PROGRAMME OF SUSTAINED EXPANSION IN EDUCATION AND TRAINING, PARTICULARLY AT THE TERTIARY LEVEL TO MEET THE DEMANDS CAUSED NOT ONLY BY EMIGRATION BUT BY OUR OWN BURGEONING SERVICES SECTOR FOR MORE SOPHISTICATED AND
SPECIALISED SKILLS.
"EVEN WITHIN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR, OUR REQUIREMENTS ARE CHANGING AND LEANING TOWARDS A HIGHER TECHNOLOGICAL CONTENT, SHE SAID.
HONG KONG'S EDUCATION AND TRAINING SYSTEM MUST PROVIDE ADEQUATE GRADUATES OF THE RIGHT MIX TO MEET THIS STRESSED.
BE ABLE ΤΟ DEMAND,
SHE
"THE NUMBER