27
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 1994
—
TRADE HAS BEEN OF HONG KONG'S TWO-THIRDS
SINCE THEN
KONG-CHINA GROWTH IN HONG THE LEGENDARY
CHINA ACCOUNTING FOR 35 PER CENT - WITH EXTERNAL TRADE IN 1993, AND HONG KONG ACCOUNTING FOR ABOUT OF TOTAL INVESTMENT IN CHINA.
BUSINESS EXPERTISE
"WE HAVE BEEN RECEIVING CLEAR MESSAGES FROM THE COMMERCIAL SECTOR THAT THEY HAVE A GROWING DEMAND FOR HAVE INTIMATE KNOWLEDGE OF AND FIRST-HAND WORKING EXPERIENCE CHINA MARKET, HE SAID.
**
AND
WHO
IN
THE
HAVE DECIDED TO "IT IS IN RESPONSE TO THIS DEMAND THAT WE TAKE ONE MORE STEP BY EXTENDING THE POLICY TO ENABLE PROFESSIONALS AND MANAGERS FROM CHINA TO BE ADMITTED.
"IT
IS MEANT TO CATER FOR OUR ECONOMIC GROWTH, WHICH IS TO THE WELL-BEING OF THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY,'
VITAL
HE ADDED.
PER CENT OF THE THE 1,000 QUOTA REPRESENTS LESS THAN 0.5
THERE EXISTING STOCK OF MANAGERIAL AND PROFESSIONAL WORKERS AND HENCE IS NO QUESTION OF WAGE DEPRESSION FOR LOCALS AS A RESULT.
"NOR
THERE
ADVERSE IMPACT IS
ANY
OF QUESTION MANAGERIAL AND PROFESSIONAL STAFF," MR LEUNG SAID, ADDING UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FOR THIS GROUP STAYED PERSISTENTLY BELOW
CENT.
ON
LOCAL
THAT THE ONE PER
MR LEUNG ASSURED ΤΟ ALLAY FEARS AND WORRIES OF SOME MEMBERS, LEGISLATORS THAT THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT WOULD VET EACH APPLICATION VIGOROUSLY TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE WHO WERE TO BE ADMITTED WOULD THE PURPOSE OF THE SCHEME.
SUIT
THE SCHEME WILL ALSO BE MONITORED VERY
ΤΟ CLOSELY
MINIMISE
ABUSES.
MR LEUNG SAID THE GOVERNMENT WOULD UNDERTAKE A FULL REVIEW IN A INTO ACCOUNT YEAR'S TIME, AND TAKE THE COUNCIL AND COMMUNITY VIEWS BEFORE DECIDING THE NEXT STEPS.
THE SECRETARY ALSO SPOKE ON A WIDE RANGE OF ISSUES EDUCATION PROGRAMME.
UNDER THE
THAT THE SCHOOL
COMMENTING ON ALLEGATIONS BY A FEW MEMBERS SECTOR HAD SUFFERED AS A RESULT OF SPENDING ON THE TERTIARY SECTOR, MR LEUNG SAID IT WAS SIMPLY NOT TRUE.
HE AGREED THAT HUGE AMOUNTS HAD BEEN SPENT TO BOOST THE FIRST-YEAR, FIRST-DEGREE PLACES BUT "ALL THESE HAVE NOT BEEN AT THE EXPENSE OF THE SCHOOL SECTOR".
OF
NUMBER
DONE
EXPENDITURE
ON
36
CITING STATISTICS, HE SAID THE SHARE OF TOTAL TERTIARY EDUCATION HAD RISEN FROM 28 PER CENT IN 1989/90 TO AROUND
EDUCATION PER CENT BY 1994/95 WHEREAS THE TOTAL EXPENDITURE ON SCHOOL HAD GROWN FROM $8,699 MILLION TO $17,152 MILLION OVER THE SAME PERIOD, GROWTH REPRESENTING A GROWTH OF 97 PER CENT IN MONEY TERMS, OR A REAL OF 20 PER CENT,
"WE HAVE
Page 60Page 61