XN000022-1980-11-20 — Page 3

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1980

+THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE ASSOCIATION IN THIS TRANSFORMATION HAS BEEN SUBTLE BUT PERVASIVE. TRAINING COURSES, CONFERENCES AND SEMINARS, THE DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION, THE SHARING OF EXPERIENCE, THE EXAMINATION WITH A PRAGMATIC AND CRITICAL EYE OF THE APPLICABILITY OF NEW TECHNIQUES IN THE LOCAL CONTEXT, THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING BY EMPLOYERS, LIBRARY FACILITIES AND THE PUBLICATION OF A JOURNAL- ALL THESE ARE TANGIBLE SIGNS OF A HEALTHY AND ACTIVE ASSOCIATION. WHAT IS LESS READILY QUANT IF IABLE IS THE ETHIC OF RESPONSIBLE AND ENLIGHTENED MANAGEMENT WITH WHICH THE ASSOCIATION HAS IMBUED ITS MEMBERS AND PARTICULARLY THE YOUNGER GENERATION OF MANAGERS.

+ IF OUR PROSPERITY IS TO BE SUSTAINED FIRST OF ALL WE MUST TEND TO DIVERSIFY OUR ECONOMY, AND IMPROVE THE CAPACITY OF OUR MANAGERS AND THE TECHNOLOGICAL SKILLS OF OUR WORKFORCE. THE GOVERNMENT IS ACTING QUICKLY ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON DIVERSIFICATION. THE NEW REVIEW OF POST-SECONDARY AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN PART SPRANG FROM THIS, AND IT WILL CONSIDER HOW THE DEMAND FOR THE PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED MANAGERIAL, ADMINISTRATIVE AND TECHNOLOGICAL STAFF IN HONG KONG CAN BE MET.

+WE MUST ALSO REMEMBER THE GREAT CHANGES TAKING PLACE IN OUR NORTHERN NEIGHBOUR, AND THE OPPORTUNITIES THESE PRESENT AND THE CHANGE OF FOCUS FROM ALL OF US THEY REQUIRE. AS GUANGDONG EMBARKS ON ITS PLANS FOR MODERNISATION IT IS GOING TO REQUIRE A GREAT NUMBER OF TRAINED MANAGERS. CHINESE LEADERS IN GUANGDONG HAVE EXPLAINED TO ME THAT THEY ARE SHORT OF SUCH PEOPLE BECAUSE OF THE POLITICAL TURMOILS OF THE PREVIOUS DECADE. THEY HAVE SAID THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO MAKE USE OF HONG KONG'S EXPERIENCE TO HELP TRAIN THE PEOPLE THEY NOW NEED. I HAVE SAID I AM SURE THAT, IF THIS IS WHAT THEY WISH, ORGANISATIONS LIKE THE HONG KONG MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION WOULD BE ABLE AND WILLING TO RUN SEMINARS ON MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES OR TO SHARE IN OTHER

I KNOW, WAYS THE EXPERIENCE THEY HAVE BUILT UP. A START HAS. ALREADY BEEN MADE WITH LAST YEAR'S SEMINAR AND THE ASSOCIATION WILL SOON BE ORGANISING A PROGRAMME FOR A SMALL GROUP FROM PEKING. BUT I WOULD URGE THE ASSOCIATION ALSO TO FOSTER THE RELATIONSHIP WITH GUANGDONG. THE GREATEST INPUT FROM HONG KONG IN TERMS OF COMPENSATION DEALS, JOINT VENTURES AND INVESTMENT IS LIKELY TO BE IN THIS NEIGHBOUR PROVINCE, AND EXCHANGE OF IDEAS ON MANAGEMENT WITH PERSONS FROM THAT PROVINCE COULD BE OF GREAT MUTUAL BENEFIT.

+MR CHAIRMAN, THESE 20 YEARS OF YOUR ASSOCIATION'S LIFE HAVE COINCIDED WITH A REMARKABLE PERIOD OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN HONG KONG PROBABLY THE FASTEST AND MOST EXTENSIVE GROWTH THAT HAS EVER BEEN ACHIEVED IN THE WORLD WITHOUT EXTERNAL AID. DURING THIS REMARKABLE PHENOMENON YOU HAVE STEADILY INCREASED YOUR INFLUENCE, UNTIL NOW YOU HAVE BECOME THE YEAST THAT LEAVENS THE LOAF. I CONGRATULATE YOU ON THE DEDICATION AND ENTHUSIASM THAT HAS RESULTED IN THIS SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION. HONG KONG WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AS IT HAS IN THE PAST, AND SO TOO WILL THE IMPORTANCE OF YOUR OWN CONTRIBUTION. I HAD NOT HEARD THE ROBUST WORDS OF MY PREDECESSOR AT THE INAUGURATION OF THE FEDERATION OF HONG KONG INDUSTRIES AND THE FORMATION OF THIS ASSOCIATION, BUT THEY ARE AS APPLICABLE AND TRUE TO-DAY AS THEY WERE 20 YEARS AGO. THERE IS STILL MUCH TO BE DONE AND THERE IS STILL A LONG AND BRIGHT FUTURE, AND IT IS STILL ESSENTIAL THAT YOU PLAN YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO IT. LIKE SIR ROBERT, I AM CONVINCED THAT YOU CAN AND WILL DO THE JOB, AND CERTAINLY YOU CAN COUNT ON THE VERY FIRM SUPPORT OF THE GOVERNMENT IN DOING IT. +

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