XN000022-1980-01-15 — Page 2

TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 1980

ACTING GOVERNOR PRESENTS INDUSTRIAL DESIGN AWARDS

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THE ACTING GOVERNOR, SIR JACK CATER, THIS (TUESDAY) EVENING TOLD HONG KONG MANUFACTURERS THAT THE DAYS WHEN THE MOTTO 'YOU MAKE IT WE FAKE IT', FOR THE UNSCRUPULOUS FEW, WERE HOPEFULLY LONG OVER.

SIR JACK WAS SPEAKING AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE AT THE PRESENTATION OF AWARDS FOR GOOD PRODUCT DESIGNS PROMOTED BY THE HONG KONG INDUSTRIAL DESIGN COUNCIL. THE PREMIER GOVERNOR'S AWARD FOR HONG KONG DESIGN' WAS HOWEVER WITHHELD THIS YEAR ON THE DECISION OF THE PANEL OF JUDGES.

SIR JACK NOTED THAT COMPARATIVELY FEW MANUFACTURERS HAD FELT SUFFICIENTLY CONFIDENT TO SUBMIT THEIR PRODUCTS FOR SCRUTINY, MAY BE BECAUSE SOME OF THEM WERE CHARY OF PUTTING NEWLY-DESIGNED PRODUCTS ON DISPLAY FOR FEAR OF PIRATING, OR BECAUSE THEY LACKED CONFIDENCE OR SIMPLY COULD NOT BE BOTHERED.

+WHATEVER THE REASON, IT IS A PITY A PITY BECAUSE, IN THOSE LONG YEARS AGO IN 1969, IT SEEMED TO THOSE OF US INVOLVED IN SETTING UP THE DESIGN COUNCIL THAT HONG KONG FOR FAR TOO LONG HAD BEEN A WORKSHOP, THAT WE RELIED TOO MUCH ON MANUFACTURING TO ORDER, OFTEN UNDER LICENCE: WE WERE KEEN TO SEE HONG KONG MOVING AWAY FROM ITS CONTRACTING ROLE TO PRODUCING GOODS OF OUR OWN DESIGN, AS WELL AS MANUFACTURE.

+THERE HAVE BEEN NOTABLE SUCCESSES, AND I AM PLEASED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEM: BUT HONESTY REQUIRES US THIS EVENING TO ADMIT TOO THAT WE REMAIN STILL VERY MUCH IN THE OLD PATTERN SELLING PRODUCTION.+

THIS WAS CLEARLY STILL VERY PROFITABLE, HE SAID, OTHERWISE HONG KONG MANUFACTURERS WOULD NOT BE DOING IT, BUT THE WAY AHEAD LAY WITH IMPROVING QUALITY, MARKET DIVERSIFICATION AND, NOT ONLY UP-GRADING OUR TECHNOLOGY, BUT ALSO OUR DESIGN STANDARDS.

ALTHOUGH OUR ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE PAST TEN YEARS HAD BEEN REMARKABLE BY ANY STANDARDS — EVEN HONG KONG'S+, SIR JACK SAID, WE COULD NOT AND MUST NOT BE COMPLACENT.

+PROTECTIONISM AMONG OUR MAJOR TRADING PARTNERS IS ON THE INCREASE- COMPETITION FROM OTHER DEVELOPING COUNTRIES IN THE FAR EAST AND ELSEWHERE IS UNDOUBTEDLY GOING TO INCREASE.+

FORTUNATELY, HE SAID, WE HAVE A LOT GOING FOR US TOO -- ABLE AND COMPETENT ENTREPRENEURS, A WORK-FORCE SECOND TO NONE FOR ITS HARD WORK AND FLEXIBILITY AND A MUCH IMPROVED AND IMPROVING RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA.

THERE WAS ALSO THE WORK OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON DIVERS IF ICATION. +DIVERS IF ICATION CAN AND DOES TAKE THE FORM OF CHANGES AND INNOVATIONS WITHIN EXISTING PRODUCT GROUPS, IN TERMS OF BOTH THE RANGE AND THE QUALITY OF PRODUCTS. IT IS WITHIN THIS CONTEXT THAT NEW IDEAS IN INDUSTRIAL DESIGN ARE OF IMPORTANCE TO INDUSTRY,+ HE ADDED.

/HR, JAMES WU,