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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1993
"BUT IT IS EARLY DAYS, AND THE LEVEL OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION IS STILL WORRYINGLY HIGH, HE SAID.
ON IMMIGRATION, HE SAID 70 MORE IMMIGRATION STAFF WOULD BR ADDED AT LOWU IN THE NEXT FINANCIAL YEAR.
THE GOVERNMENT IS ALSO INTENDING TO CREATE A TASK FORCE, WHICH WILL BE A MOBILE TEAM TO BE DEPLOYED TO CONTROL POINTS DURING PERIODS OF PRAK DEMAND, AS WELL AS DOING INVESTIGATION WORK ON NORMAL DAYS.
IN
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FOR THE MEDIUM TO LONG TERM, THE GOVERNMENT IS INVESTING MODERN TECHNOLOGY TO ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR AN EVER INCREASING OF IMMIGRATION STAFF AT CONTROL POINTS.
TOWARDS THE END OF NEXT YEAR, THE GOVERNMENT WILL INTRODUCE OPTICAL CHARACTER READERS WHICH WILL ENABLE HONG KONG IDENTITY CARD HOLDERS AND.
ALL MACHINE READABLE TRAVEL DOCUMENT HOLDERS, ΤΟ PASS THROUGH THE CONTROL POINTS IN MUCH LESS TIME THAN AT PRESENT.
THE GOVERNMENT IS ALSO STUDYING THE POSSIBILITY OF INTRODUCING SMART CARDS, WHICH COULD REMOVE THE NEED FOR ALL COUNTERS TO BE MANNED BY IMMIGRATION OFFICERS.
STI: INDUSTRIAL POLICY TO GIVE HELP, NOT DIRECTIONS
THE
GOVERNMENT DO NOT SET SPECIFIC GOALS OR DIRECTIONS IN ITS INDUSTRIAL POLICY, THE SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY, MR TH CHAU SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY) IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
RESPONDING TO THE CALL FOR A COMPREHENSIVE INDUSTRIAL POLICY BY SOME LEGCO MEMBERS AT THE DEBATE ON THE MOTION OF THANKS TO THE GOVERNOR'S ANNUAL ADDRESS, MR CHAU SAID: "OUR INDUSTRIAL POLICY PLACES EMPHASIS ON FACILITATING AND SUPPORTING INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, NOT CHOOSING ITS DIRECTION.
"IT COULD ALSO BE DESCRIBED AS HELPING INDUSTRIALISTS TO HELP THEMSELVES."
WITH
HE ADDED THAT INDUSTRIALISTS IN HONG KONG WERE IN FACT PROVIDED MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP THEMSELVES, SUCH AS THE APPLIED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT SCHEME.
A PROPOSAL IS ALSO BEING MADE TO PROVIDE THE INDUSTRY AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL WITH A BUDGET OF MORE THAN $900 MILLION OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS ΤΟ SUPPORT FURTHER INDUSTRIAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT.
MR CHAU SAID THE GOVERNMENT ADOPTED THE SAME APPROACH OF HELPING INDUSTRY TO HELP ITSELF REGARDING POLLUTION CONTROL MEASURES.
THE HONG KONG PRODUCTIVITY COUNCIL AND THE CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY HAVE ALREADY OFFERED ACCESS ΤΟ POLLUTION CONTROL TECHNOLOGY AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.
NOTING THE GROWING ROLE OF THE SERVICE SECTOR IN THE ECONOMY, MR CHAU SAID THE SECTOR HAD REACHED ITS PRESENT HEALTHY STATE BY RESPONDING TO THE NEEDS OF ITS CUSTOMERS, NOT BY FOLLOWING A GOVERNMENT BLUEPRINT.
/ON LEGISLATIVE