XN000022-1983-10-26 — Page 15

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WELTERDAY, BR 26, 1983

+OUR PEOPLE TAKE THIS FREEDOM FOR GRANTED BECAUSE THEY HAVE AS LONG AS THEY ABIDE BY THE LAW, THEY ARE FREE TO EXPRESS WHATEVER OPINION THEY HAVE.

IT.

+WE HAVE AN INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY WHICH PROTECTS THE RIGHTS OF EACH INDIVIDUAL. WE ARE FREE FROM ARBITRARY GOVERNMENT DECISIONS. +DO WE CHERISH THIS SYSTEM? CAN ANSWER YES,+ MR LEE SAID.

ME LEE ALSO SAID: WE WERE GLAD TO SEE THE START OF SUBSTANTIVE BILATERAL NEGOTIATIONS IN JULY AND WE ARE EQUALLY GLAD TO SEE THE RECENT MEASURES TAKEN BY GOVERNMENT IN STABILISING THE HONG KONG DOLLAR.+

+AFTER ALL THE STRENGTH OF OUR EXPORT PERFORMANCE DOES

NOT JUSTIFY THE WEAKNESS IN OUR ECONOMY, HE SAID.

ON THE SUBJECT OF INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, MR LEE STRESSED THE NEED FOR INDUSTRY TO CONTINUE TO DIVERSIFY AND TO ACQUIRE HIGH TECHNOLOGY.

MR LEE ALSO SAID THAT THE PRODUCTIVITY COUNCIL, OF WHICH HE IS CHAIRMAN, WOULD CONTINUE TO MAKE ITS CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS

HE ALSO PRODUCTIVITY TO STRENGTHEN HONG KONG'S COMPETITIVENESS. FELT THAT INDUSTRY MUST MOVE TOWARDS AUTOMATION,

+WE WILL PUT THE SUGGESTION FORWARD TO GOVERNMENT SHORTLY OF ESTABLISHING AN AUTOMATION UNIT WITHIN THE PRODUCTIVITY COUNCIL IN SUPPORT OF INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, HE SAID.

MR LEE SAID ALSO THAT THERE WAS NEED FOR AN EXHIBITION CENTRE IN HONG KONG, WHICH DID NOT HAVE TO BE A COMPLEX WITH HOTEL AND OFFICE ACCOMMODATION.

GOVERNMENT PRAISED FOR MONETARY ACTION

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THE RECENTLY INTRODUCED MONETARY PACKAGE TO SALVAGE THE DOLLAR COULD BE SEEN AS A DEMONSTRATION OF THE GOVERNMENT'S CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG'S CURRENCY, ECONOMY AND FUTURE, THE HON ANDREW SO SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

THE PACKAGE ALSO SHOWED THE GOVERNOR SIR EDWARD YOUDE'S DETERMINATION +TO MATCH WORDS WITH DEEDS, AND RECEIVED WIDE PUBLIC SUPPORT, MR SO SAID.

WHILE NON-INTERVENTION WAS UNDERSTANDABLE IN VIEW OF THE VIGOUR AND RESILIENCE OF HONG KONG'S ECONOMY, GALLOPING INFLATION AND PRICE RISES WITH THEIR VICIOUS CIRCLE WOULD MAKE IT IMPERATIVE FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO INTERVENE, HE SAID.

/CITING THE