XN000022-1984-06-07 — Page 6

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 1984

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INVESTMENT IN MOST MODERN MACHINERY' URGED

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HONG KONG INDUSTRIALISTS WERE URGED TODAY BY THE DIRECTOR OF INDUSTRY, MR JOHN YAXLEY, TO INVEST IN THE MOST MODERN AND SOPHISTICATED MACHINERY AVAILABLE, SO AS TO MOVE UP MARKET.

IN MAKING HIS CALL, MR YAXLEY SAID THAT WHATEVER THE FUTURE HELD IN STORE, MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY WOULD REMAIN THE BEDROCK ON WHICH THE ÉCONOMY IS BUILT, AND THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE BEST POSSIBLE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR IT TO PROSPER.

+I BELIEVE,+ MR YAXLEY SAID, THE OPPORTUNITIES HERE FOR A RESOURCEFUL AND ENERGETIC MANUFACTURER WILL CONTINUE TO BE, INCOMPARABLY BETTER THAN ELSEWHERE IN THE REGION, SIMPLY BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT KNOWS FULL WELL THAT TO BORROW A PHRASE "THE BUSINESS OF HONG KONG IS BUSINESS'.

+WE KNOW THAT OUR WHOLE COMMUNITY PROSPERS FROM THIS PHILOSOPHY, AND OUR POLITICAL ASPIRATIONS HAVE NO WIDER HORIZONS, + MR YAXLEY SAID,

SPEAKING AT A DINNER PARTY OF THE KIWANIS CLUB OF KOWLOON, MR YAXLEY SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD ACCEPTED ALL 47 PROPOSALS IN THE 1979 REPORT OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON DIVERSIFICATION AND THAT THESE PROPOSALS WERE IN VARIOUS STAGES OF

IMPLEMENTATION.

THERE WERE THREE MAIN AREAS OF GOVERNMENT'S POSITIVE INVOLVEMENT IN THE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, HE SAID.

FIRSTLY THERE WAS THE NEED FOR A MORE ACTIVE GOVERNMENT ROLE IN THE IMPROVEMENT OF INDUSTRIAL SUPPORT FACILITIES AND TECHNICAL BACK-UP SERVICES.

POSITIVE ACTION TAKEN TO DATE, HE SAID, INCLUDED:

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A GOVERNMENT LABORATORY ACCREDITATION SYSTEM AS PART OF AN IMPROVED AND MORE CLEARLY INDEPENDENT RANGE OF QUALITY CERTIFICATION SERVICES;

THE SETTING UP OF A GOVERNMENT STANDARDS AND CALIBRATION LABORATORY. THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT HAD TAKEN OVER THE PREMISES FOR SUCH A LABORATORY AND EQUIPMENT WHICH HAD COST THE TAXPAYER $15 MILLION WAS BEING COMMISSIONED. THE LABORATORY SHOULD BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FOR THE CALIBRATION OF EQUIPMENT LATER THIS YEAR :

THE ENLARGEMENT OF THE MICROPROCESSOR DEVELOPMENT LABORATORY IN THE HONG KONG PRODUCTIVITY CENTRE, TO PROMOTE THE APPLICATION OF MICROPROCESSORS IN INDUSTRY;

/THE PROVISION