XN000022-1976-07-08 — Page 3

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THURSDAY, JULY 8, 1976

P.W.D. DIRECTOR SEES BRIGHT FUTURE FOR BUILDING INDUSTRY

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THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, MR. DAVID MCDONALD, THIS (THURSDAY) EVENING PREDICTED A BRIGHT YEAR AHEAD FOR HONG KONG'S CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY.

ADDRESSING THE ANNUAL DINNER GATHERING OF THE BUILDING CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION, HE SAID THE LAST FEW MONTHS HAD SEEN GREATER ACTIVITY IN THE CONTRACTING FIELD.

SAID.

+AND THE PROSPECT FOR THE YEAR AHEAD IS BRIGHTER STILL,+ HE

MR. MCDONALD STRESSED, HOWEVER, THAT BUILDING EFFICIENCY WOULD HAVE TO IMPROVE FURTHER TO MAINTAIN OUTPUT IN THE SHORTER WORKING PERIOD THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE IF PROPOSALS FOR TIGHTER CONTROLS ON NOISY CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT AND MORE STATUTORY HOLIDAYS FOR WORKERS WERE APPROVED.

AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PROJECTS, HE SAID, WOULD UNDOUBTED- LY MEAN GREATER COMPETITION FOR MATERIALS AND LABOUR AND IT WAS TO BE EXPECTED THAT CONSTRUCTION COSTS WOULD ALSO INCREASE.

HE HOPED. HOWEVER THAT THIS WOULD STIMULATE MORE INTEREST IN NEW METHODS OF CONSTRUCTION SUCH AS A GREATER DEGREE OF MECHANISATION ON BUILDING SITES.

AS SOME FORMS OF MECHANISATION COULD AGGRAVATE THE PROBLEM OF NOISE POLLUTION, LEGISLATION WAS ALREADY BEING DRAFTED WITH THE AIM OF BANNING THE USE OF ANY MECHANICALLY OPERATED DEVICE BETWEEN 7 P.M. AND 7 A.M. AS WELL AS ON SUNDAYS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS.

+THIS, COUPLED WITH THE RECENTLY PUBLISHED EMPLOYMENT (AMENDMENT) BILL WHICH WILL GIVE WORKERS ANOTHER FOUR STATUTORY HOLIDAYS EACH YEAR WILL MEAN THAT WE SHALL ALL BE ABLE TO REST QUIETLY, BOTH AT NIGHT AND ON OUR DAYS OFF.+

IT WOULD ALSO MEAN, HOWEVER, THAT CONTRACTORS WOULD HAVE FEWER HOURS EACH DAY WHEN PLANT COULD BE OPERATED AND IT WOULD BE UP TO CONTRACTORS TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY TO MAINTAIN OUTPUT IN THE SHORTER WORKING PERIOD AVAILABLE, HE SAID.

MR. MCDONALD SAID THAT DESPITE MECHANISATION, HOWEVER, TRAINED CRAFTSMEN WOULD STILL CONTINUE TO BE NEEDED.

+ I AM THEREFORE VERY PLEASED TO NOTE THAT THE BUILDING OF THE CONSTRUCTION TRAINING CENTRE IS UNDER WAY AND PROGRESSING WELL.

+FUNDS DERIVED FROM THE LEVY OF 0.25 PER CENT ON THE VALUE OF CONSTRUCTION WORKS ARE BEGINNING TO BUILD UP AND THE INCREASED AMOUNT OF WORK SHOULD RAISE THE CASH FLOW FROM A TRICKLE TO A FLOOD OVER THE NEXT YEAR OR SO, HE SAID.

AMONG THE GUESTS AT THE DINNER WAS MRS. MCDONALD WHO DREW THE WINNING NUMBERS OF A RAFFLE.

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