-
· 43 -
"The volume of trade involved is small as Hong Kong has little exports of the products involved," he said.
"Nonetheless, the proposal by Norway represents a concrete step taken by an importing country under the World Trade Organisation Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC) towards liberalisation of global trade in textiles.
"Hong Kong fully appreciates the efforts made by Norway towards this goal and is delighted to accept Norway's proposal."
I
The proposal by Norway is made under Paragraph 15, Article 2 of the ATC. Provisions of the paragraph provides for the early elimination by a member of quantitative restrictions it maintained, independent of the integration programme under the ATC.
Under the ATC, members are committed to liberalising global trade in textiles in stages with the ultimate objective of fully integration of trade in textiles into the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade by year 2005.
End/Monday, October 23, 1995
New Deputy Commissioner for Labour appointed
Mr Lee Kai-fat, whose previous posting was Deputy Director of Housing (Administration), joined the Labour Department today (Monday) as Deputy Commissioner for Labour (Special Duties).
He will be responsible for industrial safety matters, particularly the restructuring of the Factory Inspectorate Division (FID) having regard to its changing role as recommended in the consultation paper on industrial safety published in July this year as well as recommendations made by Ernst & Young Management Consultants on the reorganisation of the FID.
Mr Lee, aged 48, joined the Civil Service in 1977. He has worked in the Urban Services Department, Royal Hong Kong Police Force, Lands Department and a number of policy branches in the Government Secretariat. He became Deputy Director of Housing (Administration) in October 1994.
End/Monday, October 23, 1995