XN000022-1981-11-01 — Page 5

4.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1981

THE RE-EXPORT VOLUME OF ALL THE END-USE CATEGORIES SHOWED SIGNIFICANT INCREASES, RANGING FROM 13 PER CENT FOR CONSUMER GOODS TO 31 PER CENT FOR CAPITAL GOODS.

FURTHER DETAILS ARE CONTAINED IN THE AUGUST 1981 ISSUE OF THE +HONG KONG TRADE INDEX NUMBERS+, SHORTLY AVAILABLE AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE AT HK$2 PER COPY.

WORK FOR DISABLED SHOULD BE SOCIAL COMMITMENT: SIR JACK

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IT WAS NECESSARY TO SUSTAIN AND CONVERT THE INCREASED LEVEL OF INTEREST SHOWN IN HONG KONG FOR DISABLED PERSONS INTO A SOCIAL COMMITMENT, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR JACK CATER, SAID AT THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF DISABLED PERSONS TALENT SHOW AT QUEEN ELIZABETH STADIUM AT 3 PM TODAY (SUNDAY).

IN OFFICIATING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE TALENT SHOW WHICH WAS JOINTLY ORGANISED BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT AND VOLUNTARY AGENCIES, SIR JACK SAID:

+THE MANY ACTIVITIES ORGANISED FOR THIS INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF DISABLED PERSONS ARE DIRECTED TOWARDS THE CREATION OF A GREATER COMMUNITY AWARENESS NOT ONLY OF THE PROBLEMS AND NEEDS OF THE DISABLED, BUT ALSO OF THE IR POTENTIAL, THEIR ABILITIES AND THEIR CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS OUR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC WELL-BEING.

+SUCH AN AWARENESS WILL LEAD TO A MORE READY ACCEPTANCE

OF THE DISABLED AS NECESSARY, EQUAL AND IMPORTANT PARTNERS IN OUR DAILY LIVING, AND FACILITATE THE IR INTEGRATION INTO THE COMMUNITY - WHICH OF COURSE IS THE POLICY OBJECTIVE OF OUR REHABILITATION PROGRAMME AND OUR THEME OF THE YEAR.

+TO CREATE THIS AWARENESS REQUIRES BASICALLY TWO THINGS: FIRSTLY THE WILLINGNESS OF THE ABLE-BODIED TO TAKE A POSITIVE INTEREST IN OUR DISABLED FRIENDS AND SECONDLY AND IMPORTANTLY THE DETERMINATION OF THE DISABLED THEMSELVES TO MAINTAIN THEIR RIGHTFUL PLACE IN SOCIETY.

+REGARDING THE FIRST REQUIREMENT, THERE HAS BEEN A CLEAR INCREASE IN THE LEVEL OF INTEREST TAKEN IN THE DISABLED THROUGH NO DOUBT THE EFFORTS OF BOTH VOLUNTARY AGENCIES AND GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS IN SPREADING THE MESSAGE OF THE YEAR. TO ENSURE THAT THIS IS NOT A TEMPORARY PHENOMENON, IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO SUSTAIN AND CONVERT SUCH INTEREST INTO A SOCIAL COMMITMENT.

+TO THIS END, CONTINUED SUPPORT FROM THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE OF THE EXEMPLARY WORK STARTED THIS YEAR WILL BE ESSENTIAL.

+ON THE SECOND REQUIREMENT WHICH, SO FAR HAS NOT BEEN MUCH PUBLICISED, I HAVE BEEN PLEASED TO NOTE DEMONSTRATIONS OF SUCH DETERMINATION IN MANY OF THE EVENTS ORGANISED THIS YEAR, IN PARTICULAR THE OUTSTANDING DISABLED PERSONS AWARD, THE INDUSTRIAL SKILLS CONTEST OR ABLYMPICS, AND THE VARIOUS SPORTING EVENTS WHERE THE DISABLED HAVE DEMONSTRATED THE IR CONSIDERABLE SKILLS AND ABILITIES AND ABOVE ALL THEIR CONFIDENCE IN THEMSELVES IN REMAINING USEFUL MEMBERS OF OUR SOCIETY.