XN000022-1975-10-23 — Page 15

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1975

HE ADDED : +IT MEANS THAT, HAVING ACQUIRED AUTONOMY, MUST TAKE STEPS TO ENSURE THAT OUR TRADE POLICIES AND THE MEANS TO GIVE EFFECT TO THEM ARE GEARED TO MEET THE CHALLENGES OF TODAY'S COMPLEX WORLD OF TRADE.+

WE

HONG KONG, HE STRESSED, +EXISTS OF TRADE, BY TRADE AND FOR TRADE+ AND IT WAS VITAL TO PRESERVE AND INCREASE. IT.

HE BELIEVED THAT TEXTILES WOULD REMAIN HONG KONG'S LARGEST INDUSTRY AND EXPORT EARNER FOR SOME TIME TO COME, BUT IT WAS AN INDUSTRY SURROUNDED BY RESTRAINTS, MANY OF WHICH HAD HAD HIGHLY DISRUPTIVE EFFECTS.

+THERE SEEMS LITTLE CHANCE OF ANY OF THE EXISTING RESTRAINTS BEING DISMANTLED. ON THE CONTRARY, WE CAN EXPECT, IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE, DISCUSSIONS TO BEGIN ON THE CONTINUATION AND POSSIBLE MODIFICATION OF THE MULTIFIBRE TEXTILE ARRANGEMENT.+

+THE OUTCOME OF THESE NEGOTIATIONS COULD HAVE FAR-REACHING EFFECTS ON OUR TRADE - BENEFICIAL OR ADVERSE DEPENDING ON THE ATTITUDES OF OTHERS AND OUR ABILITY TO INFLUENCE THOSE ATTITUDES,+ HE SAID.

MR. TIEN EMPHASISED THE NEED TO CONTINUE AND REDOUBLE EFFORTS TO REMOVE THE DISCRIMINATION AGAINST HONG KONG IN MANY OF THE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES' GENERALISED PREFERENCES SCHEMES. HONG KONG MUST PRESS HARD TO SECURE ADMISSION TO THE SCHEMES OF THOSE COUNTRIES WHICH STILL EXCLUDED HONG KONG'S PRODUCTS ALTOGETHER.

+WE MUST CONTINUE TO PERSUADE THESE COUNTRIES WHICH MAINTAIN ILLEGAL IMPORT RESTRICTIONS AGAINST US TO HONOUR THEIR INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS AND TO TREAT OUR PRODUCTS ON AN EQUAL FOOTING WITH THOSE OF OTHER SUPPLIERS,+ HE STRESSED.

ON INDUSTRIAL TRAINING, MR. TIEN CALLED ON THE GOVERNMENT TO ACCEPT AND ENACT, AT THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE DATE, THE TRAINING COUNCIL'S PROPOSED APPRENTICESHIP BILL AS A FURTHER STEP TO HELP HONG KONG'S MANUFACTURERS AND TO ENHANCE THE PRODUCTIVE POTENTIALS OF WORKERS.

HE SAID: +WE HAVE TRADITIONALLY RELIED ON THE NATURAL SKILLS AND DEXTERITY OF OUR WORKERS. INCREASINGLY, HOWEVER, WE SHALL NEED TO ENSURE THAT THE PRODUCTIVE POTENTIALS OF OUR WORK FORCE IS USED TO THE FULL.

TO ACHIEVE THIS, MR. TIEN SAID THAT WORKERS MUST BE GIVEN APPROPRIATE TRAINING WHICH SHOULD INCLUDE DOTH ORGANISED PRACTICAL TRAINING ON THE SHOPFLOOR AND, WHEN NECESSARY, SOME FORM OF FORMAL TECHNICAL EDUCATION.

MR. TIEN NOTED

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