XN000022-1980-04-24 — Page 2

THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 1980

HONG KONG'S SUCCESSFUL CLIMB FROM BARGAIN BASEMENT

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THE DRAMATIC GROWTH OF HONG KONG'S EXPORTS IN THE PAST 20 YEARS MARKS A LONG AND SUCCESSFUL CLIMB FROM THE BARGAIN BASEMENT, THE DIRECTOR OF TRADE, INDUSTRY AND CUSTOMS, MR BILL DORWARD SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).

HE WAS SPEAKING AT THE PRIZE PRESENTATION CEREMONY OF THE 1980 NEW PRODUCTS COMPETITION ORGANISED BY THE CHINESE MANUFACTURERS' ASSOCIATION, DURING WHICH HE PRESENTED THE DIRECTOR OF TRADE, INDUSTRY AND CUSTOMS AWARD TO YAM'S ELECTRONIC FACTORY LTD FOR THEIR MINI FRIDGE AND FOOD WARMER.

REVIEWING HONG KONG'S RAPID DEVELOPMENT, MR DORWARD SAID +WE HAVE SEEN DRAMATIC CHANGES IN THOSE LAST TWO DECADES AND MORE. KWUN TONG THEN WAS STILL A RUBBISH DUMP WITH A FEW SQUATTER HUTS ALONGSIDE IT. TSUEN WAN WAS A VILLAGE- AND THE WATERS OF THE DELIGHTFULLY NAMED GIN DRINKERS BAY COVERED WHAT IS NOW A GOOD DEAL OF KWAI CHUNG. AND THERE WERE MANGROVE SWAMPS WHERE THE SHA TIN RACECOURSE STANDS.

+BUT AS DRAMATIC AS THE CHANGE IN OUR PHYSICAL CIRCUMSTANCES HAS BEEN THE CHANGE IN OUR PRODUCTS AND THIS HAS BEEN REFLECTED IN OUR EXPORT FIGURES.

*IN 1959 EXPORTS WERE WORTH $2 300 MILLION- BY 1969 THEY HAD REACHED $10 000 MILLION- AND LAST YEAR THEY REACHED $56 000 MILLION.

+SUCCESS OF THESE DIMENSIONS CAN ONLY BE ACHIEVED BY A CONSTANT PROCESS OF UPGRADING AND EXPANSION OF QUALITY AND RANGE. WE ALL RECOGNISE THE NEED FOR FURTHER DIVERSIFICATION, BUT WE SHOULD NOT OVERLOOK THE FACT THAT MUCH HAS ALREADY BEEN ACHIEVED,+ HE SAID.

IN HIS FOREWORD TO THE CATALOGUE FOR THE NEW PRODUCTS SHOW ALSO ORGANISED BY THE CMA, MR DORWARD SAID: +WE USED TO BE FOND OF SAYING THAT ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS HONG KONG'S INDUSTRY WAS SUCCESSFUL WAS THAT IT LARGELY SOLD PRODUCTIVE CAPACITY RATHER THAN PRODUCTS. ITS ABILITY TO MAKE QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY TO BUYERS' SPECIFICATIONS WAS ITS GREAT STRENGTH.

+WHILE THIS IS STILL TRUE TO AN EXTENT, TIMES CHANGE, THE ABILITY TO INNOVATE, IN TERMS OF PRODUCT AND DESIGN, IS INCREASINGLY NECESSARY IN THE FACE OF THE CHALLENGES OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE. THIS SHOW INDICATES OUR ABILITY AND DETERMINATION TO MEET THAT CHALLENGE.+

MR DORWARD CONGRATULATED THE CMA ON ITS ENTERPRISE AND PUBLIC SPIRIT IN ORGANISING BOTH THE HONG KONG NEW PRODUCTS COMPETITION FOR THE ELEVENTH TIME - AND THE HONG KONG NEW PRODUCTS SHOW FOR THE SECOND TIME.

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