- 13
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 1994
FOR
AND
IT MAY ALSO BE POSSIBLE TO FACILITATE REDEVELOPMENT OF EXISTING SITES THROUGH FINDING WAYS TO ALLOW PRIVATE DEVELOPERS TO APPLY LAND RESUMPTIONS WHERE DISPLACED RESIDENTS ARE OFFERED RELOCATION FAIR AND REASONABLE COMPENSATION.
PRIVATE
SECTOR
THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO INVOLVE THE SECTOR IN SUPPLYING THE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR MAJOR PRIVATE PROJECTS. THIS SHOULD HELP TO ELIMINATE SIGNIFICANT SOURCES OF DELAY IN STARTING CONSTRUCTION WORK ON NEW SITES.
THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY BELIEVED A USEFUL CONTRIBUTION ALSO BE MADE BY THE SANDWICH CLASS HOUSING PROGRAMME.
WOULD
PHASE I
1,000, OF THE LOAN SCHEME, WHICH HAS A QUOTA OF OVER-SUBSCRIBED THREE TIMES. PHASE II WILL BE LAUNCHED NEXT MONTH.
THE FOR
WAS
ON
THE
MA LONGER TERM, LAND FOR FIVE SITES IN TSING YI,
5,000 FLATS WILL BE
то ALLOCATED PRE-SALE OF THE FIRST BATCH
OF
THESE
SHAN AND TSEUNG KWAN O FOR HOUSING SOCIETY THIS MONTH. FLATS WILL START EARLY NEXT YEAR.
HE SAID THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO COUNTER SPECULATIVE
WAS ΤΟ ACTIVITIES
INCREASE THE SUPPLY AND THAT MUST BE THE GOVERNMENT'S PRIORITY.
SIR HAMISH SAID THAT THE SECOND KEY ISSUE WAS LABOUR.
IN THEORY, THE SHORTAGE OF LABOUR 1$ EASIER TO TACKLE. PRACTICE, HOWEVER, THE GOVERNMENT HAD IMPOSED TIGHTER CONSTRAINTS THE FREEDOM TO IMPORT LABOUR THAN HAVE HONG KONG'S COMPETITORS.
IN
ON
"WE
TO LIVE WITH THE CONSEQUENCES OF HAVE TERMS OF LOWER GROWTH AND HIGHER INFLATION.
THAT
DECISION
IN
LIMITED.
HONG KONG'S CURRENT ARRANGEMENTS TO IMPORT LABOUR ARE EXTREMELY
THE CEILING OF 25,000 (EQUAL TO LESS THAN 1% OF OUR WORKFORCE) THE SPECIAL SCHEME THE GENERAL SCHEME TO IMPORT WORKERS IS LOW. ON FOR THE AIRPORT AND RELATED PROJECTS PROVIDES SOME ADDITIONAL BUT IS ONLY 5,500 AT THE PRESENT TIME.
HONG
RELIEF
SUCCEEDED
KONG'S INVESTMENT IN RETRAINING IS HELPING, SINCE APRIL, OVER 8,000 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN RETRAINED, AND MOST HAVE IN FINDING ALTERNATIVE EMPLOYMENT. BUT THE LABOUR SHORTAGE IS VERY SERIOUS.
LAST
STILL
WAYS
COMMUNITY'S
SIR HAMISH SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD BEEN LOOKING AT OTHER TO EASE THE SHORTAGE WHILE TAKING ACCOUNT OF THE UNDERSTANDABLE DESIRE TO PROTECT THE INTERESTS OF THE WORKFORCE.
"I BELIEVE MEMBERS WILL WELCOME A NEW SCHEME TO ADMIT PROFESSIONALS AND MANAGERS RECRUITED DIRECTLY FROM CHINA.
GRADUATE
"THIS
WILL START SHORTLY WITH A MODEST PILOT SCHEME FOR WILL IT PEOPLE. TF THE SCHEME WORKS, IT COULD BE EXPANDED. SOME RELIFF FOR THE SHORTAGE OF PEOPLE QUALIFICATIONS AND KNOWLEDGE OF CHINA, HE SAID.
1,000 OFFER
WITH
DEGREE-LEVEL
0
-
/14