12
THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 1991
"ALTHOUGH
ΜΑΚΙΝΟ UP THE
VAST
OF MAJORITY
HONG
KONG B
FEWER THAN 50 PERSONS
PER (48.5
CENT OF TOTAL
MANUFACTURING ESTABLISHMENTS, FACTORIES WITH
PERSONS IN TOTAL
ONLY EMPLOYED 354,087
MANUFACTURING EMPLOYMENT) IN 1990.
2,587 LARGER
"IN CONTRAST, 51.5 PER CENT OF HONG KONG'S TOTAL MANUFACTURING
PERSONS, 376,130
IS CONCENtrated IN EMPLOYMENT, OR ESTABLISHMENTS (5.3 PER CENT), MR WONG SAID.
H
ADVANTAGE IN THIS
MAKE-UP AS LINKED WITH THE EFFICIENT NETWORK OF SUBCONTRACTING
HE SAID THERE WAS AN INHERENT MANY SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED OPERATIONS WERE CLOSELY BIGGER FACTORIES PROCESSING ARRANGEMENTS.
THROUGH
AN
EXTERNAL DEMANDS.
THIS PROVIDES HONG
FLEXIBILITY
WHICH
KONG'S MANUFACTURING SECTOR WITH ENABLES IT TO RESPOND
то SWIFTLY
CHANGES
A
IN
THE 1980S SAW THE
EMERGENCE
OF
MATERIALS
AND
ASSEMBLY
INTO
"THE
THE
THE REPORT ALSO NOTED THAT LINKAGE INDUSTRIES IN HONG KONG, WHICH CONVERT IMPORTED RAW INTO SEMI-MANUFACTURES, COMPONENTS,
PARTS, SUB-ASSEMBLIES FOR FITHER MACHINES FOR SALE TO OTHER FINISHED PRODUCTS OR FOR USE IN THE PRODUCTION PROCESS.
MANUFACTURERS
THE GROWTH OF
LINKAGE INDUSTRIES HAS ASSISTED TRANSFORMATION OF HONG KONG'S MANUFACTURING SECTOR FROM THE SIMPLE ASSEMBLY OF IMPORTED PARTS AND COMPONENTS.
"THIS GROWTH IS CONNECTED THE 1980s,' MR WONG SAID.
++
WITH
MANUFACTURING-WIDE TRENDS IN
"FIRSTLY, THE SHIFT OF HONG KONG'S LABOUR INTENSIVE ASSEMBLY ESPECIALLY OPERATIONS INTO OTHER AREAS IN THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN REGION,
HAS INTO SOUTH CHINA,
ENABLED HONG KONG TO
A DRVELOP INTO
VARIETY OF MANUFACTURING SUPPORT BASE FOR THE REGION, NOT ONLY FOR A FINANCIAL AND OTHER SERVICES, BUT ALSO
PARTS, FOR MATERIALS, BE SUPPLIED COMPONENTS AND PRODUCTION TOOLING THAT CANNOT
IN THOSE
AREAS.
"SECONDLY, A COMBINATION OF
FACTORS INCLUDING RISING
PROFIT AUTOMATED
LABOUR
COSTS, SHORTER PRODUCT LIFE-CYCLES, AND THE NEED TO DIVERSIFY INTO HIGHER VALUE-ADDED PRODUCTS TO MAINTAIN HIGHLIGHTED THE ATTRACTIVENESS OF MORE MANUFACTURING METHODS IN THE LOCAL MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES," MR
MARGINS HAS AND FLEXIBLE WONG
ADDED.
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