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"Apart from boasting a thriving, domestic population of over six million consumers with ever growing demand for quality electronic products, Hong Kong is the gateway to the biggest emerging market of the world, the People's Republic of China; and located at the hub of the most dynamically growing region in the world, the Asia Pacific region.
"Hong Kong offers excellent infrastructure for all those engaged in high-tech production; a level playing field for all investors; a simple, predictable, low taxation system; and a stable environment for external investors characterised by the rule of law."
Mrs Ip said notwithstanding the relocation of many assembly-type industrial operations across the border, the electronics industry had been one of the fastest growing and best-performing sectors of Hong Kong's manufacturing industry in terms of output, exports, and value added per person.
"Within the electronics industry itself, the electronic parts and components sector has performed particularly well: in terms of gross output the electronic parts and components sector grew at a much higher rate than the electronic finished product sector between 1983 and 1993 (7.7% per annum in the case of the former and 4.9% in the case of the latter), with the result that the gross output of the electronic parts and components sector rose to 28% of the electronics industry in 1993," she said.
Mrs Ip said, short of directly providing cash to businessmen to start businesses in Hong Kong, the Government was actively promoting the further development of the manufacturing industries.
The support measures the Government provides for the industries include the readily available serviced land at development cost in the Industrial Estates, and abundant skilled workforce, from among the 4000-plus graduates in engineering, science and technology from the seven degree-conferring institutions.
The Government also offers financial assistance for supporting applied R and D, under the Applied R and D Scheme and Co-operative Applied R and D Scheme and financial assistance towards training of staff in new technologies, under the New Technology Training Scheme.
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