XN000022-1981-02-27 — Page 10

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ENEVAI J I GØRVAN I

EVIDENCE OF DIVERSIFICATION IN TEXTILES

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AGAINST THE DEMAND FOR DIVERSIFICATION IN THE TEXTILE AND GARMENT INDUSTRY, MR PETER TSAO, COMMISSIONER OF TRADE, TODAY QUESTIONED WHETHER WE HAVE NOT REALLY DIVERSIFIED, BECAUSE WE STILL RELY HEAVILY ON TEXTILES AND TEXTILE PRODUCTS.

MR TSAO THINKS THIS IS NOT SO. +WITHIN THE TEXTILE FIELD WE HAVE MOVED UP THE MARKET IN MANY WAYS. WE HAVE DIVERSIFIED FROM THE SPINNING OF YARN AND WEAVING OF FABRICS INTO THE MANUFACTURE OF GARMENTS AND FROM GARMENTS TO HIGH-COST GARMENTS AND FASHION- GARMENTS, HE SAID.

OFFICIATING AT THE OPENING OF AN AUTOMATED COMPUTER-CONTROLLED CUTTING SYSTEM AT NE IL PRYDE LTD, MR TSAO SAID THE EVENT WAS FURTHER EVIDENCE THAT THE INDUSTRY IS CONTINUING TO MOVE UP MARKET, AND THAT DIVERS IF ICATION IS TAKING PLACE WITHIN THE TEXTILE FIELD.

+OUR BATTLE CRY ON THE TRADE FRONT HAS, FOR SOME TIME, BEEN DIVERS IF ICATION, HE SAID. AS YOU ARE AWARE, THE GOVERNMENT IS FULLY BEHIND THE HONG KONG INDUSTRIALISTS' ATTEMPTS TO DIVERSIFY. THE GOVERNMENT SUPPORT IS ENSHRINED IN THE REPORT OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON DIVERSIFICATION AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS MADE BY THAT COMMITTEE HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED BY THE GOVERNMENT AND ARE BEING IMPLEMENTED, MR TSAO ADDED.

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THE NEW CUTTING SYSTEM, FOR USE IN THE PRODUCTION OF SAILS, IS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND TO BE INSTALLED IN HONG KONG. MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES BY GERBER GARMENT TECHNOLOGY INC., THE MACHINERY REPRESENTS THE MOST ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY AVAILABLE FOR THE CUTTING OF GARMENTS AND OTHER TEXTILE ITEMS.

NT CLEAN-UP COMMITTEE LOOKS AT PROBLEMS ON THE GROUND

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THE COMMITTEE WHICH IS ADVISING HOW THE WAR ON RUBBISH SHOULD BE WAGED IN THE NEW TERRITORIE MADE AN EXTENSIVE FIELD VISIT THIS (FRIDAY) AFTERNOON.

THE COMMITTEE WAS FORMED A FEW WEEKS AGO BY THE GOVERNOR TO LOOK AT THE NEW TERRITORIES ASPECTS OF THE MASSIVE ANTI-LITTER DRIVE BEGINNING IN OCTOBER THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE OF HONG KONG.

IT IS CHAIRED BY LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLOR, MR CHARLES YEUNG, AND COMPOSED OF OFFICIALS FROM GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND UNOFFICIALS FROM THE EIGHT NEW TERRITORIES DISTRICTS.

THE COMMITTEE HAS HELD A SERIES OF LONG MEETINGS THRASHING OUT CAMPAIGN STRATEGY AND HAS ALREADY MADE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT, BUT AS ONE MEMBER SAID TODAY: +WE FELT IT WAS TIME TO GO AND HAVE A CLOSE LOOK AT THE PROBLEMS ON THE GROUND.+

THE COMMITTEE FIRST WENT TO SUNG WONG TOI GOVERNMENT WORKSHOP IN KOWLOON CITY, WHERE THE MOST MODERN VEHICLES AND MACHINES BEING USED TO CLEAN THE NEW TERRITORIES ARE ON DISPLAY.

THA FLEET

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