XN000022-1984-01-12 — Page 6

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 1984

GOOD INVESTMENT ADVANTAGES IN TUEN MUN

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THE GOVERNMENT'S AIM IN TUEN MUN IS TO CREATE ENOUGH WORK FOR PEOPLE WHO MOVE TO THE NEW TOWN FROM OTHER PARTS OF HONG KONG SO THAT THEY HAVE BOTH THEIR HOMES AND PLACES OF WORK IN THE

DISTRICT, THE SECRETARY FOR DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, MR DAVID AKERS- JONES, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).

HE POINTED OUT THAT THERE ARE OVER 1 400 INDUSTRIAL UNDER- TAKINGS IN TUEN MUN PROVIDING MORE THAN 22 000 JOBS, AND THE MAJORITY OF THE WORK FORCE LIVE IN TUEN MUN OR THE NEIGHBOURHOOD.

DESPITE THE DIFFICULT WORLD ECONOMIC SITUATION DURING THE PAST TWO YEARS, TUEN MUN HAS CONTINUED TO GROW IN TERMS OF POPULATION, FROM 108 000 IN JANUARY 1981 TO THE PRESENT 247 000.

SPEAKING AT THE GROUND-BREAKING CEREMONY OF YKK'S SECOND FACTORY BUILDING IN TUEN MUN, MR AKERS-JONES DISPELLED A MISCONCEPTION THAT TUEN MUN IS IN A REMOTE CORNER OF HONG KONG AND IS UNSUITABLE FOR INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENT.

+THIS IS FAR FROM THE TRUTH, HE SAID.

+TUEN MUN IS ONLY A LITTLE OVER HALF AN HOUR'S DIRECT DRIVE FROM KWAI CHUNG CONTAINER TERMINAL, AND IS NO FURTHER AWAY THAN KWUN TONG.

+THERE ARE MANY ADVANTAGES IN SETTING UP INDUSTRIAL OPERATIONS IN TUEN MUN AND I CONGRATULATE YKK FOR ITS FORES IGHT AND CONFIDENCE IN TUEN MUN BY EXPANDING ITS OPERATIONS HERE.+

YKK'S FIRST FACTORY BUILDING WAS OPENED IN 1978 WHEN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEW TOWN WAS JUST BEGINNING.

+YKK WAS ONE OF THE FIRST LARGE-SCALE INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIAL CONCERNS TO SEE THE POTENTIAL OF THE NEW TOWN AND TO ESTABLISH ONE OF ITS MANY BRANCH FACTORIES HERE.+

MR AKERS-JONES EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT OTHER INDUSTRIAL CONCERNS WOULD FOLLOW YKK'S EXAMPLE IN INVESTING IN TUEN MUN.

+TUEN MUN IS A NEW TOWN AND A NEW COMMUNITY, BUT IN A YEAR OR TWO'S TIME IT WILL HAVE AN ENVIRONMENT OF WHICH ITS RESIDENTS WILL BE PROUD, WITH PARKS, SWIMMING POOLS, A TOWN HALL AND A TOWN CENTRE, AND WITH INCOMPARABLE VIEWS OF THE MOUNTAINS AND SEA,+ HE ADDED.

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