XN000022-1984-06-07 — Page 7

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 1984

THE PROVISION OF $4 MILLION AT THE HONG KONG UNIVERSITY, CHINESE UNIVERSITY AND THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC FOR RESEARCH INTO VARIOUS PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FABRICATION AND USE OF INTEGRATED CIRCUITS AND INTO THE COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN OF ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS.

SECONDLY A NEED WAS IDENTIFIED FOR A PROGRAMME OF EXPANSION AND IMPROVEMENT OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING.

+THIS WAS TACKLED BY THE ESTABLISHMENT IN FEBRUARY 1982 OF THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEM OF INDUSTRIAL TRAINING FOR THE NEEDS OF INDUSTRY, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THREE NEW TECHNICAL INSTITUTIONS WITHIN THE NEXT FEW YEARS, IN ADDITION TO THE FIVE EXISTING ONES AND THE SETTING UP OF TWO INDUSTRIAL TRAINING CENTRE COMPLEXES, HE SAID.

THIRDLY THERE WAS THE RECOMMENDATION FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF THE INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT BOARD TO PLAN, MONITOR AND ADVISE GOVERNMENT ON INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES.

+THE BOARD INCLUDES A NUMBER OF PROMINENT INDUSTRIALISTS IN ITS MEMBERSHIP, AND IT KEEPS THE GOVERNMENT AND IN PARTICULAR THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT ON ITS TOES, SO AS TO ENSURE THAT THE IMPETUS GAINED BY SETTING UP THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON DIVERSIFICATION IS MAINTAINED.

+RIGHT NOW THE INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT BOARD IS SEEKING THE VIEWS OF THE PUBLIC AS TO HOW AND TO WHAT EXTENT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD BECOME INVOLVED IN SUPPORT FOR THE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY THROUGH A GOVERNMENT-FUNDED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTRE,+ MR YAXLEY SAID.

THESE WERE ONLY A FEW EXAMPLES OF THE GOVERNMENT'S INCREASING SUPPORT FOR INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, MR YAXLEY SAID.

ON THE PROVISION OF INDUSTRIAL LAND, MR YAXLEY SAID THAT TO ENSURE THAT THE GOVERNMENT DID NOT OVERLOOK THE NEEDS AND PROBLEMS OF INDUSTRY, HIS DEPARTMENT'S INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT DIVISION HELPED IN THE EVALUATION OF APPLICATIONS FOR LAND UNDER THE SPECIAL INDUSTRIES POLICY.

THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT ALSO HAD AN EXECUTIVE ROLE IN THE PROMOTION OF OVERSEAS INVESTMENT IN HONG KONG.

+THIS ARISES FROM THE RECOGNITION BY THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON DIVERSIFICATION THAT ONE WAY TO BROADEN OUR INDUSTRIAL BASE AND TO INTRODUCE HIGHER TECHNOLOGY TO OUR INDUSTRY WAS TO ATTRACT OVERSEAS INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENT TO HONG KONG.

/+WE WELCOME