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MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 1991

GOVT COMMISSIONS CONSULTANCY STUDY ON CHEMICAL PROCESSING INDUSTRY

* * * * *

THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT TODAY (MONDAY) COMMISSIONED A IN $7.3 MILLION CONSULTANCY STUDY ON THE CHEMICAL PROCESSING INDUSTRY HONG KONG.

THE DIRECTOR OF INDUSTRY, MR T.H. BARMA, SIGNED THE

CONSULTANCY AGREEMENT WITH THE MANAGING PARTNER OF MR BRIAN STEVENSON, ALSO PRESENT WAS MR ERIC TURNER RESOURCES (ASIA) LIMITED.

RRNST AND YOUNG, OF ENVIRONMENTAL

SPEAKING AFTER THE SIGNING CEREMONY, MR BARMA SAID THR STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE CURRENT STATE OF HONG KONG'S CHEMICAL PROCESSING

OF MANUFACTURING ON IMPORTS INDUSTRY, INCLUDING THE DEPENDENCE CHEMICALS.

OF

IT WILL ALSO ASSESS THE POTENTIAL FOR GROWTH OF THIS INDUSTRY, BOTH AS A SUPPLIER TO OTHER INDUSTRIES IN HONG KONG AND THE REGION, AND AS AN EXPORT GENERATING INDUSTRY IN ITS OWN RIGHT, MR BARMA SAID.

AND,

APPROPRIATE

HAVING ACTION

"THE STUDY SHOULD IDENTIFY THE FACTORS OF PRODUCTION WHICH MAY

AND CONSTITUTE DETERMINANTS OF

CONSTRAINTS ON GROWTH REGARD TO THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY, RECOMMEND WHAT IS NEEDED, HE ADDED.

MR BARMA SAID THE STUDY WAS PART OF REGULAR TECHNO-ECONOMIC AND MARKET RESEARCH STUDIES COMMISSIONED BY THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT ON THE MAJOR GROUPS OF MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES IN HONG KONG.

"THE NEED FOR THE

LATEST STUDY HAS BEEN ENDORSED BY THE INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT BOARD WHICH NOTES THAT HONG KONG INDUSTRIES,

KONG COMPANIES INCLUDING THOSE OWNED BY HONG

HEAVILY DEPENDENT ON THE USE OF A WIDE RANGE WHICH HAVE TO BE IMPORTED.

"THESE INCLUDE

PLASTICS, DYESTUFFS,

SOLVENTS AND DETERGENTS, PAINTS AND COATINGS,'

OF

IN SOUTH CHINA, ARE CHEMICALS, MOST OF

ACIDS AND ALKALIS, HE SAID.

MR BARNA SAID THE BOARD ALSO NOTED THAT THE OF THE REGION HAD LED TO A SITUATION WHERE VOLUMES NOW REACHED LEVELS WHERE MAJOR INVESTMENT BY THE LOCAL PRODUCTION FACILITIES WAS PERHAPS JUSTIFIED.

IN

INDUSTRIAL GROWTH OF CHEMICALS HAD PRIVATE SECTOR IN

"THE BOARD HAS BEEN INFORMED THAT, WHILE THERE IS NOT MUCH SCOPE FOR ESTABLISHING LOW VALUE-ADDED CHEMICAL PLANTS SUCH AS OIL REFINERIES, THERE MAY BE POTENTIAL FOR GROWTH

THE PROCESSING OF BASIC CHEMICALS INTO HIGHER VALUE-ADDED PRODUCTS, EITHER FOR EXPORTS OR FOR USE IN HONG KONG'S OTHER INDUSTRIES, HE SAID.

"

HE ALSO SAID THE STUDY WOULD INCLUDE THE ENVIRONMENTAL OF THESE INDUSTRIES, SUCH AS THE RE-CYCLING OF CHEMICALS.

THE STUDY IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN NINE MONTHS.

ASPECTS

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