15
THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 1991
"IT HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY EVIDENT THAT OUR MANUFACTURING SECTOR IS POLARISING INTO A SMALL GROUP OF ABOUT 2,500 LARGE, MODERN COMPANIES OPERATING EFFICIENTLY OUT OF SENSIBLY-DESIGNED PREMISES IN
OUR INDUSTRIAL ESTATES AND ELSEWHERE, AND ACCOUNTING FOR OVER HALF OUR MANUFACTURED EXPORTS; AND A RELATIVELY INEFFICIENT SWARM OF SMALL COMPANIES OPERATING MOSTLY IN INADEQUATE PREMISES IN THE OLD
INDUSTRIAL AREAS IN KWAI CHUNG, KWUN TONG AND SAN PO KONG,
"METROPLAN RECOGNISES THE PROBLEM AND OFFERS THE SOLUTION WHICH CALLS FOR BETTER-DESIGNED, MORE SPACIOUS INDUSTRIAL AREAS AND THE REDEVELOPMENT AND 'THINNING OUT' OF OUR OLDER, CONGESTED INDUSTRIAL ZONES.
"THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT WELCOMES THE PROPOSALS NOT ONLY FOR THE UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY THEY PROVIDE FOR REMOVING A BASIC CONSTRAINT ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES BUT BECAUSE THEY WILL ALSO PROVIDE A FAR BETTER ENVIRONMENT," HE SAID.
MR BARMA SAID THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT DISLIKED FACTORIES, WHICH POLLUTED THE ENVIRONMENT EVERY BIT AS MUCH AS OTHER GOVERNMENT BRANCHES AND DEPARTMENTS.
"WHERE WE DIFFER, IT IS NORMALLY ON THE PACE OF CHANGE TOWARDS A LESS-POLLUTED ENVIRONMENT.
"WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE, AS A DEPARTMENT, THAT THE ABILITY OF THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR TO CONTRIBUTE TO OUR ECONOMY 18 NOT SUBSTANTIALLY IMPAIRED BY ENVIRONMENTAL MEASURES WHICH, HOWEVER LAUDABLE IN PRINCIPLE, PLACE TOO SUDDEN OR TOO LARGE A BURDEN ON THE SHOULDERS OF MANUFACTURERS.
"WE WANT TO SEE A BETTER ENVIRONMENT; BUT WE ALSO WANT то SEE THE TRANSITION SENSIBLY-MANAGED, AND WITHOUT AVOIDABLE CASUALTIES AMONG MANUFACTURERS,
"METROPLAN'S OBJECTIVE IN THIS RESPECT, TO 'SORT OUT LAND USK PATTERNS TO CREATE A MORE ACCEPTABLE URBAN ENVIRONMENT, BY RELOCATING ACTIVITIES WHICH CREATE SEVERE ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS', IS WHOLE-HEARTEDLY ENDORSED BY THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT, HE SAID.
0
"
PROVISIONAL TRADE FIGURES FOR DECEMBER 1990
* * *
THE VALUE OF RE-EXPORTS CONTINUED TO RISE SUBSTANTIALLY, ALTHOUGH THE VALUE OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS SHOWED ONLY A SMALL INCREASE, ACCORDING TO THE PROVISIONAL TRADE FIGURES FOR DECEMBER 1990 RELEASED TODAY (THURSDAY) BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.
MEANWHILE, THE FIGURES ALSO SHOWED IMPORTS AND RETAINED IMPORTS ROSE MARKEDLY IN VALUE TERMS.
/THE VALUE