XN000022-1978-11-15 — Page 22

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1978

PRODUCTIVITY CENTRE UNDERTAKING MEDIUM-TERM DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

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THE HONG KONG PRODUCTIVITY CENTRE HAS BEGUN TO UNDERTAKE MEDIUM-TERM DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS AND HAS PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN STRENGTHENING INSTITUTIONAL CO-ORDINATION IN A NUMBER OF PRODUCTIVITY RELATED ISSUES.

IN HIS STATEMENT ON THE CENTRE'S WORK DURING THE LAST FINANCIAL YEAR AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY, CHAIRMAN OF THE PRODUCTIVITY COUNCIL, THE HON. S.L. CHEN MENTIONED THREE SUCH ACTIVITIES WHICH HE SAID +MARKED THE BEGINNING OF AN ATTEMPT TO TACKLE PRODUCTIVITY ISSUES ON THE BASIS OF AN INDUSTRY SECTOR WHERE THE IMPACT IS LIKELY TO BE GREATER THAN IF CONFINED TO INDIVIDUAL ENTERPRISES.+

THESE WERE 1

* ESTABLISHMENT OF AN INFORMATION CENTRE FOR INDUSTRY SERVICE. THE PRODUCTIVITY CENTRE ACTED AS A PLANNING BODY AND FOLLOWING CONSULTATIONS WITH INTERESTED ORGANISATIONS, A PROPOSAL WAS SUBMITTED TO THE GOVERNMENT FOR CONSIDERATION-

* ESTABLISHMENT OF A PROGRAMME OF INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT FOR THE FURNITURE INDUSTRY TO IMPROVE ITS PRODUCTIVITY AND EXPORT PERFORMANCE. THIS WAS DONE IN RESPONSE TO THE INDUSTRY'S REQUEST AND IN CONJUNCTION WITH OTHER INTERESTED ORGANISATIONS- AND

* UNDERTAKING A SERIES OF STUDIES, INCLUDING ONE ON THE FOUNDRY INDUSTRY, IN RECOGNITION OF THE NEED FOR AN IMPROVED ENGINEERING INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT DIVERSIFICATION OF INDUSTRY. A COPY OF THE FINAL REPORT HAS BEEN SUBMITTED TO THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON INDUSTRIAL DIVERSIFICATION FOR ITS INFORMATION.

MR. CHEN POINTED OUT THAT DESPITE THESE ACTIVITIES THE PRODUCTIVITY CENTRE'S EFFORTS IN PROVIDING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES TO INDIVIDUAL ENTERPRISES HAD NOT BEEN REDUCED.

A TOTAL OF 180 CONSULTANCY AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROJECTS WERE UNDERTAKEN IN 1977-78, COMPARED WITH 149 IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

THERE WAS A SLIGHT REDUCTION IN THE LEVEL OF TRAINING ACTIVITIES BUT, BECAUSE THERE WAS A GREATER DEGREE OF SELECTIVITY AND A STRONGER BIAS TOWARDS MORE TECHNOLOGICAL AND SPECIALISED SUBJECTS, THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS PER TRAINING COURSE INCREASED FROM 22 IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR TO 27, AND THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS INCREASED FROM 6,426 TO 6,633.

THE CENTRE ALSO EXPANDED ITS RANGE OF TECHNICAL SERVICES DURING THE YEAR. NEW SERVICES PROVIDED INCLUDED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN ELECTRONICS UNIT AND A TECHNICAL INFORMATION UNIT. TWO BI-LINGUAL QUARTERLY BULLETINS, ON PLASTICS TECHNOLOGY AND FURNITURE TECHNOLOGY, WERE PUBLISHED AND WERE VERY WELL RECEIVED.

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