XN000022-1977-07-25 — Page 5

MONDAY, JULY 25, 1977

GOVERNOR VISITS ELECTRONICS FACTORY

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THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, THIS (MONDAY) AFTERNOON SAW THE OPERATION OF ONE OF HONG KONG'S LEADING ELECTRONICS FACTORIES IN CHEUNG SHA WAN IN ONE OF HIS PERIODICAL FACTORY VISITS TO KEEP HIMSELF INFORMED ON THE LATEST PROGRESS OF LOCAL INDUSTRIES.

ACCOMPANIED BY THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, MR. BILL DORWARD, SIR MURRAY SAW THE VARIOUS STAGES OF DESIGNING, ASSEMBLING AND TESTING OF COMPUTER COMPONENTS AT AMPEX FERROTEC LIMITED, A SUBSIDIARY OF AMPEX CORPORATION OF USA.

THE COMPANY SPECIALISES IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COMPUTER SUB-ASSEMBLIES AND COMPUTER PERIPHERAL EQUIPMENT, INCLUDING MAGNETIC CORE MEMORY PLANES, MAGNETIC CORE MEMORY SYSTEMS AND NUMEROUS OTHER SUB-SYSTEMS AND HAD WON A NUMBER OF DESIGN AWARDS.

IT EMPLOYS OVER 2,000 TECHNICIANS AND WORKERS AND EXPORTS ALL ITS PRODUCTS TO THE USA, THE LARGEST MARKET FOR HONG KONG'S ELECTRONIC GOODS.

THE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY IS THE SECOND MOST PRODUCTIVE LOCAL INDUSTRY AFTER CLOTHING, VALUED AT NEARLY $4,000 MILLION LAST YEAR, IT CONTRIBUTED TO SOME 12 PER CENT OF HONG KONG'S TOTAL DOMESTIC EXPORTS. EXPORTS ROSE BY OVER 20 PER CENT IN THE FIRST FIVE MONTHS THIS YEAR.

IN MARCH, MORE THAN 68,000 WORKERS OR ABOUT NINE PER CENT OF THE INDUSTRIAL WORKFORCE WERE EMPLOYED IN THIS INDUSTRY IN OVER 650 FACTORIES.

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