XN000022-1979-06-22 — Page 3

FRIDAY, JUNE

11

TREMENDOUS GROWTH OF TICD

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REVIEWING HIS SEVEN YEARS AS DIRECTOR OF TRADE, INDUSTRY AND CUSTOMS, MR. DAVID JORDAN TODAY (FRIDAY) SPOKE ON THE TREMENDOUS GROWTH IN THE WORK AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF HIS DEPARTMENT.

SPEAKING TO THE ROTARY CLUB OF NORTH KOWLOON, HE SET THE GROWTH AGAINST A BACKCLOTH OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS RISING IN SEVEN YEARS FROM $15 BILLION TO $41 BILLION, AND GOVERNMENT SPENDING

INCREASING FROM $4.25 BILLION IN 1972 TO AN ESTIMATED $12.5 BILLION THIS YEAR.

EMPHAS IS ING THAT WITH A STAFF INCREASE OF ONLY 32 PER CENT IN THE SEVEN YEARS, MR. JORDAN SAID THAT THE NUMBER OF

* TRADE NEGOTIATIONS CONDUCTED HAD MORE THAN DOUBLED-

CERTIFICATES OF ORIGIN ISSUED EACH YEAR HAD INCREASED BY 60 PER CENT TO OVER 500,000-

*

*

*

EXPORT LICENCES ISSUED HAD INCREASED BY 60 PER CENT TO 750,000-

QUOTA HOLDINGS HAD INCREASED BY 9,000 TO ABOUT 20,000 OVER 100 PER CENT-

* FACTORIES REGISTERED WITH THE DEPARTMENT HAD INCREASED

BY NEARLY 40 PER CENT TO NEARLY 16,000- AND

* OVERSEAS INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENT MISSIONS HAD INCREASED

FROM ONE IN 1972 TO SEVEN IN 1978.

IN ADDITION, THE TRADE INVESTIGATION BRANCH COMPLETED OVER 500 INVESTIGATIONS IN 1978, TWICE THE NUMBER FOR 1972 -- AND THE FINES IMPOSED AS A RESULT OF TIB PROSECUTIONS MULTIPLIED TWO AND A HALF TIMES FROM $600,000 TO $1.5 MILLION.

THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE SERVICE HAD GROWN FROM JUST OVER 1,000 STAFF TO NEARLY 1,500 BUT SO HAD REVENUE COLLECTED ON BUTIABLE COMMODITIES, NEARLY DOUBLING FROM $447 MILLION TO $836 MILLION,

+I THINK THOSE ARE SOME FAIRLY STARTLING FIGURES, BUT THEY DON'T TELL THE WHOLE STORY. MANY OF OUR ACTIVITIES INVOLVE ENTIRELY NEW RESPONSIBILITIES THAT WE HAVE TAKEN ON SINCE 1972,+ HE SAID.

MR. JORDAN LISTED HIS DEPARTMENT'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE WORK OF THE HONG KONG INDUSTRIAL ESTATES CORPORATION- THE SPECIAL

INDUSTRIES POLICY- THE CONSUMER COUNCIL- AND THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE COPYRIGHT ORDINANCE.

/+WE HAVE HAD