XN000022-1978-05-19 — Page 7

FRIDAY, MAY 19, 1978

SPEEDING UP HONG KONG TEXTILE EXPORTS

******

THE TRADE, INDUSTRY AND CUSTOMS DEPARTMENT IS COMPUTER IS ING ITS TEXTILES EXPORT CONTROL SYSTEM,

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY THAT THE COMPUTER WAS NECESSARY BECAUSE OF INCREASED COMPLEXITIES IN HONG KONG'S BILATERAL TEXTILES AGREEMENTS WITH A NUMBER OF IMPORTING COUNTRIES AND EVER GROWING NUMBER OF EXPORT LICENCE APPLICATIONS.

+ IT IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN AN EFFICIENT LICENSING SERVICE. TO PREVENT THE PROBLEM FROM GROWING AND ADVERSELY AFFECTING THE TRADE, THE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN INVESTIGATING WHETHER THE EXISTING TEXTILES EXPORT CONTROL SYSTEM IS OPEN TO COMPUTERISATION.+

SINCE 1977 THE DEPARTMENT HAS, WITH THE HELP OF THE MANAGEMENT SERVICES DIVISION OF THE GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT AND CONSULTANTS, BEGUN WORKING OUT A COMPUTER SYSTEM FOR THE USA TEXTILES CONTROL SECTION OF THE DEPARTMENT. DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING OF THE SYSTEM SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF THIS YEAR.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT, STARTING ON MONDAY (MAY 22) A NUMBER OF VISUAL DISPLAY UNITS (VDU) WILL BE SET UP ON THE COUNTER DESKS OF THE USA TEXTILES CONTROL OFFICE WHERE OPERATORS WILL WORK SIDE BY SIDE WITH OFFICERS EMPLOYING THE TRADITIONAL MANUAL METHOD OF PROCESSING EXPORT LICENCE, EXPORT AUTHORISATION, SWING AND TRANSFER TRANSACTIONS.

+THE PUBLIC MIGHT THINK THAT BECAUSE THE COUNTERS ARE EQUIPPED WITH VDU THE ISSUING OF LICENCES WILL BE QUICKER+, THE SPOKESMAN SAID, +BUT AT THIS STAGE THERE WILL BE NO APPRECIABLE DIFFERENCE. THE MOVEMENT OF THE VDU TO THE COUNTERS IS JUST ANOTHER ESSENTIAL PART OF THE TESTING PROGRAMME TO ESTABLISH THE OPERATIONAL READINESS OF THE COMPUTERISED SYSTEM. +

HE SAID THAT AFTER THE TRIAL PERIOD A DECISION WILL BE MADE WHETHER TO REPLACE THE MANUAL BY THE COMPUTERISED SYSTEM FOR THE U.S. MARKET. +CONSIDERATIONS WILL THEN BE GIVEN WHETHER TO MECHANISE THE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR OTHER RESTRAINT MARKETS+.

THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT DURING THE TRIAL PERIOD THERE WILL BE LITTLE OR NO EFFECT ON THE TRADE. +THE METHOD AND PROCEDURE FOR MAKING AND PROCESSING ALL LICENCE APPLICATIONS WILL REMAIN AS AT PRESENT. +

/7