XN000022-1977-07-27 — Page 26

WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 1977

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CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY IN HEALTHY STATE

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HONG KONG'S BUILDING INDUSTRY IS IN A VERY HEALTHY STATE, WITH PROSPECTS OF A CONSTRUCTION BOOM, THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, MR. DAVID MCDONALD, SAID TONIGHT.

+THERE IS VIRTUALLY FULL EMPLOYMENT, AND THE AMOUNT OF CONSTRUCTION WORK WHICH IS PLANNED TO BE CARRIED OUT OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS IN BOTH THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS HOLDS OUT THE PROSPECT OF A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR CONTRACTORS,+ HE SAID.

INDEED THE VOLUME OF WORK PLANNED WAS SUCH THAT IT

· WOULD POSE A CHALLENGE TO CONTRACTORS TO HANDLE IT ALL.

BUT HE SAID HE WAS CONFIDENT THAT CONTRACTORS COULD MEET THE CHALLENGE.

MR. MCDONALD WAS SPEAKING AT THE ANNUAL DINNER HELD BY THE BUILDING CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION TO MARK THE BIRTHDAY OF LU PAN, THE PATRON SAINT OF THE BUILDING TRADE.

HE SAID THAT A POSSIBLE PROBLEM NOW FACING THE INDUSTRY WAS GETTING SUFFICIENT LABOUR TO MEET GROWING DEMANDS.

HOWEVER HE SAID HE BELIEVED THAT UNSKILLED WORKERS WHO HAD MOVED OUT OF THE INDUSTRY INTO THE FACTORIES WHEN TIMES WERE HARD FOR BUILDERS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WERE NOW BEING ATTRACTED BACA BY PROSPECTS OF A CONSTRUCTION BOOM.

HE ADDED THAT A METHOD OF COPING WITH THE POSSIBLE PROBLEM OF A LABOUR SHORTAGE WAS THE USE OF MORE SOPHISTICATED CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT.

HE POINTED OUT THAT LU PAN WAS WELL KNOWN AS AN INNOVATOR, AND HAD BEEN THE FIRST TO WELCOME NEW METHODS.

+ IN HONG KONG TODAY WE HAVE THE GREATEST COLLECTION OF MECHANICAL PLANT WHICH HAS EVER BEEN SEEN HERE,+ HE SAID.

+SOME 15, OF COURSE, THE VERY SPECIALISED EQUIPMENT NEEDED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY, BUT MUCH OTHER EQUIPMENT IS IN THE HANDS OF FAR-SIGHTED CONTRACTORS WHO HAVE FORESEEN THE VOLUME OF CONSTRUCTION WORK WHICH IS LIKELY TO BE AVAILABLE IN THE COMING YEARS -- AND HAVE ANTICIPATED THE NEED FOR A GREATER DEGREE OF MECHANISATION IF CONSTRUCTION TARGETS ARE TO BE MET.+

MR. MCDONALD POINTED OUT THAT THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW METHODS DID NOT LESSEN THE NEED FOR CRAFTSMEN TRAINED IN THE TRADITIONAL SKILLS, AND HE WARMLY WELCOMED THE RECENT COMPLETION OF THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY TRAINING CENTRE, WHICH WILL SHORTLY ENROL ITS FIRST INTAKE OF TRAINEES.

+EACH YEAR SOME 660 SCHOOL LEAVERS ILL BE GIVEN ONE YEAR' BASIC TRAINING IN A PARTICULAR TRADE AND WILL THEN BE PLACED IN EMPLOYMENT WITH CONTRACTORS, HE SAID.