XN000022-1983-08-22 — Page 8

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MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 1983

THE CONFERENCE IS SUPPORTED BY THE GOVERNMENT ON THE ADVICE OF THE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT BOARD, CHAIRED BY THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY.

+ THE GOVERNMENT CONSIDERS THAT IT WOULD BE IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE TO BE MORE EXTENSIVELY INTRODUCED INTO MANUFACTURING ENTERPRISES THROUGH HONG KONG'S TERTIARY EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS AND INDUSTRIAL ORGANISATIONS AND HAS THEREFORE PROVIDED A SUM OF HK$100 000 FOR FUNDING THIS CONFERENCE, THE ACTING ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF INDUSTRY, MR THOMAS YIU SAID AT A PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY (MONDAY).

THE THREE-DAY CONFERENCE, FROM OCTOBER 10 TO 12, IS INTENDED TO AROUSE THE QUALITY CONSCIOUSNESS OF INDUSTRIAL ISTS IN HONG KONG WITH A VIEW OF ENCOURAGING THE PRACTICE OF QUALITY ASSURANCE IN MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY ON A MUCH WIDER SCALE, AND TO IDENTIFY THE NEEDS OF INDUSTRY WITH A VIEW TO CHARTING A FUTURE COURSE OF ACTION BY THE GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRY-SUPPORT ORGANISATIONS.

THE ORGANISING COMMITTEE OF THE CONFERENCE, WHICH INCLUDES THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT, THE CHINESE MANUFACTURERS' ASSOCIATION OF HONG KONG, FEDERATION OF HONG KONG INDUSTRIES, HONG KONG ASSOCIATION OF CERTIFICATION LABORATORIES LTD.. HONG KONG INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS, HONG KONG MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION AND THE HONG KONG PRODUCTIVITY CENTRE, WI SUBMIT A REPORT TO THE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT BOARD AFTER THE CONCLUSION OF THE CONFERENCE, AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON MEASURES NEEDED TO PROMOTE QUALITY ASSURANCE IN HONG KONG.

ALSO SPEAKING AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE WERE THE TWO CO-CHAIRMEN OF THE ORGANISING COMMITTEE, MR J.P. LEE REPRESENTING THE CHINESE MANUFACTURERS' ASSOCIATION OF HONG KONG AND MR CECIL CHAN, REPRESENTING THE FEDERATION OF HONG KONG INDUSTRIES.

WHILE BOTH AGREED THAT QUALITY ASSURANCE WAS IMPORTANT IN MAINTAINING HONG KONG'S COMPETITIVENESS IN INTERNATIONAL MARKETS, MR J.P. LEE ADDED THAT PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE GOVERNMENT CAN PLAY A VERY USEFUL ROLE IN THE PROMOTION OF AWARENESS AND ADOPTION OF QUALITY ASSURANCE BY MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY IN HONG KONG, AND THE CONFERENCE WAS THE FIRST CONCERTED EFFORT TOWARDS THIS GOAL.

MR CECIL CHAN NOTED THAT LOCAL EXPERTS, AS WELL AS EXPERTS FROM JAPAN, THE UNITED KINGDOM AND UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WHERE THE PRACTICE OF QUALITY ASSURANCE HAD BEEN HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL, WOULD SPEAK AT THE CONFERENCE.

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