XN000022-1978-02-15 — Page 19

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1978

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SELLING HK PRODUCTS *****

THE FIRST ESSENTIAL STEP FOR A SUCCESSFUL +BUY HONG KONG+ CAMPAIGN MUST BE THAT MORE LOCAL MANUFACTURERS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO SELL THE IR PRODUCTS HERE, THE DIRECTOR OF TRADE,

INDUSTRY AND CUSTOMS, THE HON. DAVID JORDAN, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

IN RECENT YEARS THERE HAD BEEN EXCELLENT EXAMPLES OF THIS BEING DONE BY SEVERAL MANUFACTURERS AND THE RANGE OF HONG KONG PRODUCTS AVAILABLE ON THE RETAIL MARKET HAD INCREASED CONSIDERABLY.

MR. JORDAN WAS REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON. FRANCIS TIEN ON WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT WOULD TAKE STEPS TO SET UP

A PERMANENT HONG KONG PRODUCTS TRADE CENTRE WHERE OVERSEAS BUYERS COULD SEE ON DISPLAY THE WHOLE RANGE OF LOCAL PRODUCTS AND NEGOTIATE DEALS, AND WHERE THE LOCAL POPULATION AS WELL AS TOURISTS COULD PURCHASE SUCH PRODUCTS.

HE SAID: +1 BELIEVE THAT ONLY THE WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADES AND MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY CAN NOW INDICATE WITH ANY DEGREE OF ACCURACY WHETHER THERE EXISTS AN UNFILLED DEMAND FOR A TRADE CENTRE AS A RETAIL OUTLET FOR PURELY LOCAL PRODUCTS AND, PARTICULARLY IN VIEW OF THE GEOGRAPHICAL CONCENTRATION OF HONG KONG INDUSTRY, ADJACENT PERMANENT DISPLAY AND OFFICE ACCOMMODATION IN A COMPREHENSIVE COMPLEX TO SERVICE OVERSEAS BUYERS.+

MR. JORDAN NOTED THAT THE HONG KONG TRADE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL HAD ALREADY MAINTAINED A PERMANENT PRODUCT DISPLAY CENTRE WHERE THE GOODS ON DISPLAY WERE CHANGED SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR, AND THAT THE COUNCIL ALSO PROVIDED A SERVICE TO OVERSEAS BUYERS SEEKING CONTACT WITH LOCAL SUPPLIERS.

HE SAID COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISES OF A SIMILAR NATURE AS THAT SUGGESTED BY MR. TIEN HAD IN THE PAST BEEN CONSIDERED AND LAUNCHED IN HONG KONG, THOUGH ON A SMALLER SCALE, WITH VARYING DEGREE OF SUCCESS.

+ I THINK THAT BEFORE THE GOVERNMENT COULD CONSIDER THE SUPPORT IT MIGHT BE ABLE TO GIVE TO A VENTURE OF THE TYPE PROPOSED, THERE HAVE TO BE SOME VERY CLEAR INDICATION FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR, PRINCIPALLY THROUGH THE MAIN TRADE AND INDUSTRIAL ORGANISATIONS, THAT A SUFFICIENT DEMAND FOR SUCH FACILITIES EXISTS TO MAKE THE CONCEPT VIABLE, HE ADDED.

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