XN000022-1983-06-24 — Page 5

MECHANISATION MEANT THAT WORKERS HAD TO BE MORE HIGHLY SKILLED AND SPECIALISED AND THAT MANAGERS HAD TO DEVELOP NEW TECHNIQUES IN OBTAINING OPTIMUM EFFICIENCY FROM THEIR MACHINES AND OPERATORS, HE SAID,

HE EXPRESSED CONFIDENCE THAT HONG KONG CONTRACTORS WOULD BE SUCCESSFUL IN BOTH AREAS.

MR MCDONALD SAID THAT ONE OF THE MOST IMPRESSIVE ASPECTS OF HONG KONG WAS THAT IT WAS CONTINUALLY CHANGING ITS PHYSICAL APPEARANCE.

HE SAID THAT WHAT WAS MOST REMARKABLE WAS THAT MANY NEW BUILDINGS AND ENGINEERING STRUCTURES SEEMED TO APPEAR OVERNIGHT.

+THE SHEER VOLUME OF WORK COMPLETED BY HONG KONG'S CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY DURING RECENT YEARS MUST SURELY BE UNEQUALLED ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, HE SAID.

INDUSTRIALISTS URGED TO INVEST AND DIVERSIFY ****

THE DIRECTOR OF INDUSTRY, MR JOHN YAXLEY CALLED TODAY (FRIDAY) ON LOCAL INDUSTRIALISTS TO INVEST IN UP-TO-DATE MACHINERY AND TO DIVERSIFY INTO NEW PRODUCTS TO KEEP THEMSELVES TWO STEPS AHEAD OF COMPETITORS,+

HE WAS SPEAKING AT THE PREVIEW OF THE NEW FILM TWO STEPS AHEAD+ PRODUCED BY THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT FOR PROMOTING INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENT LOCALLY.

HE SAID THAT LOCAL INDUSTRIALISTS HAD A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE IN HONG KONG'S INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AS 95 PER CENT OF HONG KONG'S FACTORIES WERE LOCALLY OWNED, EMPLOYING ABOUT 90 PER CENT OF THE

INDUSTRIAL WORKFORCE.

+OUR JOD OF PROMOTING INVESTMENT IN INDUSTRY BY LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS THEREFORE IS EVERY BIT AS IMPORTANT AS ATTRACTING INDUSTRIAL PARTICIPATION BY OVERSEAS INVESTORS,+ MR YAXLEY SAID.

THE FILM TRACES THE TRUE LIFE SUCCESS STORIES OF THREE LOCAL FACTORIES AS PRESENTED BY THEIR OWNERS. IT HIGHLIGHTS THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS AND SHOWS THAT THESE HAVE BEEN THE DIRECT RESULT OF TIMELY DECISIONS TO INVEST IN UP-TO-DATE MACHINERY AND TO DIVERSIFY INTO NEW PRODUCTS.

+THIS IS THE MESSAGE CARRIED BY THE FILM WHICH ENCOURAGES LOCAL INDUSTRIALISTS TO FOLLOW THE EXAMPLES OF THE THREE ENTREPRENEURS IN THE FILM EACH OF WHOM STARTED IN A MODEST WAY. THE IR SUCCESS SHOULD ENCOURAGE OTHER LOCAL MEDIUM AND SMALL COMPANIES, MR YAXLEY ADDED.

THE FILM, AVAILABLE IN CANTONESE AND IN ENGLISH, WILL BE SHOWN TO LOCAL INDUSTRIALISTS AT SEMINARS AND CONFERENCES ORGANISED BY THE DEPARTMENT AND BY LOCAL ORGANISATIONS INVOLVED IN INDUSTRIAL PROMOTION.

COPIES OF THE FILM, IN THE FORM OF 16 MM FILM AND VIDEO TAPE. ARE AVAILABLE ON LOAN TO TRADE AND INDUSTRY ORGANISATIONS AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES. THEY MAY ALSO BE PURCHASED THROUGH THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT.

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