XN000022-1975-07-04 — Page 2

FRIDAY, JULY 4, 1975

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TRAINING SCHEMES FOR CONSTRUCTION AND CLOTHING INDUSTRIES

THE GOVERNMENT TODAY ANNOUNCED BILLS TO IMPLEMENT COMPREHENSIVE

TRAINING SCHEMES TO PROVIDE SKILLED PERSONNEL FOR TWO OF HONG KONG'S BIGGEST

INDUSTRIES THE CLOTHING INDUSTRY AND THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY.

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THE BILLS THE INDUSTRIAL TRAINING (CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY) BILL

1975 AND THE INDUSTRIAL TRAINING (CLOTHING INDUSTRY) BILL 1975 ARE PUBLISHED IN TODAY'S GOVERNMENT GAZETTE AND WILL BE INTRODUCED INTO THE

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON JULY 16.

THEY PROVIDE FOR:

ESTABLISHMENT OF SEPARATE STATUTORY AUTHORITIES TO ADMINISTER THE TWO SCHEMES:

IMPOSITION OF A TRAINING LEVY ON THE VALUE OF ALL CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS ON THE ONE HAND, AND ON ALL CLOTHING ITEMS EXPORTED ON THE OTHER, то FINANCE THE SCHEMES= AND

SETTING-UP OF SPECIAL TRAINING CENTRES TO PRODUCE CRAFTSMEN AND OPERATIVE FOR THE TWO INDUSTRIES.

THE ACTING COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, MR. NEIL HENDERSON, SAID TODAY THE TWO CONTRIBUTORY TRAINING SCHEMES WERE ORIGINALLY PROPOSED BY INDUSTRY

MEMBERS OF THE BUILDING TRADES INDUSTRIAL COMMITTEE AND THE CLOTHING INDUSTRIAL

COMMITTEE OF THE FORMER INDUSTRIAL TRAINING ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

THE WORK OF PLANNING THE SCHEMES HAD BEEN TAKEN OVER AND CONTINUED

BY THE PROVISIONAL CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY TRAINING AUTHORITY CHAIRED BY

MR. WONG TIN-SUN AND THE PROVISIONAL CLOTHING INDUSTRY TRAINING AUTHORITY

CHAIRED BY MR. FRANCIS Y.H. TIEN.

MR. HENDERSON DESCRIBED THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION AS A BREAKTHROUGH

FOR INDUSTRIAL TRAINING IN HONG KONG. +THESE BILLS ARE A SIGNIFICANT STEP

FORWARD IN THAT THEY WILL NOT ONLY ENSURE A STEADY SUPPLY OF MANPOWER TO

INDUSTRY, BUT ALSO INVOLVE INDUSTRY IN ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN MANPOWER PLANNING AND TRAINING,+ HE SAID.

MR. HENDERSON SAID THE LEVEL OF THE TWO TRAINING LEVIES WOULD

BE SET LATER BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

HE POINTED OUT THAT THE LEVY ON EXPORT CLOTHING ITEMS WAS DISTINCT

FROM, AND ADDITIONAL TO, THE AD VALOREM TAX ON ALL EXPORT GOODS WHICH

FINANCED THE TRADE PROMOTION WORK OF THE TRADE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, AND THAT

THE TRAINING LEVY WOULD HE USED SOLELY FOR THE TRAINING OF SKILLED MANPOWER

FOR THE CLOTHING INDUSTRY.

/PROCEDURES