WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9, 1993
1
MOTION DEBATE ON INDUSTRIAL POLICY
FOLLOWING IS THE SPEECH BY THE SECRETARY FOR INDUSTRY, MR TH CHAU, IN THE MOTION DEBATE ON INDUSTRIAL THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TONIGHT (WEDNESDAY):
MR PRESIDENT,
TRADE POLICY
AND IN
I WELCOME THIS DEBATE. WHEN, AS SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY, 1 APPEAR BEFORE THIS COUNCIL AND ITS COMMITTEES, THE SUBJECT MATTER IS USUALLY TRADE, BECAUSE TRADE ISSUES ARE USUALLY MORE URGENT, MORE IMMEDIATE. INDUSTRY TENDS TO GET LESS ATTENTION. BUT, IT IS THE PRODUCTION IN OUR FACTORIES HERE IN HONG KONG AND IN SOUTH CHINA THAT KEEP OUR TRADERS SO BUSY AND OUR PORT SO FULL. MANUFACTURING IN HONG KONG MAY EMPLOY FAR FEWER PEOPLE TODAY THAN TEN YEARS AGO, BUT IT STILL PROVIDES IMPORTANT VARIETY OF EMPLOYMENT AND OF OPPORTUNITY ΤΟ OUR PEOPLE.
IT STILL REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT PART OF OUR GDP. IT IS THE SECTOR OF THE ECONOMY THAT HAS THE BEST POTENTIAL FOR SUSTAINED HIGH LEVELS OF IMPROVEMENT IN PRODUCTIVITY. ABOVE ALL, IT IS THE ABILITIES AND EXPERTISE THAT OUR WORKERS, MANAGERS AND ENTREPRENEURS HAVE BUILT UP IN FORTY-FIVE YEARS OF MANUFACTURING EXPERIENCE THAT GIVES HONG KONG THE SERVICES AND THE SKILLS THAT IT CAN SELL TO THE WORLD.
BUILDING ON THESE SKILLS; REFINING THEM THROUGH RESEARCH AND THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES; EXPANDING THEM THROUGH INNOVATION AND ENDEAVOUR; RETRAINING WORKERS FROM OLD INDUSTRIES TO PROVIDE THEM WITH THE SKILLS NEEDED IN NEW AREAS: THESE FOUR TASKS ARE IMPORTANT FOR HONG KONG'S CONTINUED ECONOMIC WELL- BEING. THEY ARE TASKS THAT OUR INDUSTRIAL SUPPORT PROGRAMMES AND INSTITUTIONS ARE DESIGNED TO ASSIST INDUSTRY TO CARRY OUT. TODAY'S DEBATE HELPS US TO CONSIDER WHAT WE HAVE ACHRIVED AND WHERE WE NEED TO BE MOVING FORWARD.
THE HON HENRY TANG IN HIS MOTION HAS CALLED FOR THE INDUSTRY AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL TO BE TURNED INTO AN EXECUTIVE RATHER THAN ADVISORY BODY. THIS IS NOT A PROPOSAL THAT WE CAN SUPPORT.
PROPOSING AN FIRST TO SET
AMENDMENT
I AM GRATEFUL TO THE HON ALLEN LEE FOR THAT WE CAN ACCEPT. SINCE ALTHOUGH I INTEND OUT WHY THE ORIGINAL MOTION COULD NOT BE ENDORSED BY GOVERNMENT, INTEND
TO
TO EMPHASISE
MOVE
ON
WHAT
I
HOPE
IS
ALREADY CLEAR, THAT GOVERNMENT SHARES FULLY THE SENSE OF THIS COUNCIL, THAT INDUSTRY IS A MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE ECONOMIC HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITY, AND THAT WE NEED REGULARLY TO REVIEW, ADAPT AND DEVELOP OUR MECHANISMS TO PROMOTE THE HEALTH OF INDUSTRY.
/I SAID