XN000022-1984-12-18 — Page 3

N

t

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1984

+ THE OUTSTANDING FACT OF LIFE AS REGARDS TRADE IS THAT WE HAVE RELATIVELY FEW PROBLEMS, AND THAT OUR TRADE IS SO BUOYANT. LET US NOT FORGET THE DRAMATIC TRADE FIGURES WHICH HAVE BEEN REVEALED MONTH AFTER MONTH, WITH TOTAL EXPORTS UP AROUND 40 PER CENT COMPARED WITH THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

+AND LET US NOT FORGET THAT WHILE WE HAVE PARTICULAR PROBLEMS, IN RELATION TO TEXTILES, TARIFF PREFERENCES, WATCHES EXPORTED TO FRANCE, FOR EXAMPLE, WE ALSO HAVE GREAT AREAS OF TRADE WHERE THERE ARE VIRTUALLY NO SUCH PROBLEMS,+ MR MACLEOD SAID.

LOOKING AHEAD. MR MACLEOD SAID THAT THE MAJOR TOPIC WHICH WOULD BECOME OF INCREASING IMPORTANCE IN 1985 AND 1986 WAS THE QUESTION OF WHAT WAS TO HAPPEN AFTER THE CURRENT EXTENSION OF THE MULTI-FIBRE ARRANGEMENT (M.F.A.) EXPIRES IN 1986.

THIS WAS LINKED TO THE DELIBERATIONS OF THE GATT WORKING PARTY ON TEXTILES, AND WOULD IN TURN LEAD INTO THE QUESTION OF WHAT WOULD HAPPEN WHEN HONG KONG'S BILATERAL TEXTILE AGREEMENTS WITH THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY AND THE UNITED STATES EXPIRE AT THE END OF 1986 AND 1987 RESPECTIVELY.

+ IN ALL THIS, CONTINUED CO-ORDINATION WITH OTHER DEVELOPING COUNTRIES IS VITAL. THIS IS ACHIEVED ON A DAILY BASIS IN GENEVA, BUT SPECIAL MEETINGS TO DEAL WITH MAJOR ISSUES LIKE THE M.F.A. EXPIRY WILL INCREASE NEXT YEAR.

+THERE WAS A USEFUL DEVELOPING COUNTRIES MEETING WHICH HONG KONG ATTENDED IN KARACHI THIS SUMMER. THERE WILL BE A CRUCIAL MEETING IN APRIL NEXT YEAR IN MEXICO WHICH I HOPE TO ATTEND.

+CONTINUED ACTIVITY BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OVERSEAS OFFICES, ESPECIALLY THOSE IN GENEVA AND WASHINGTON, WILL BE VITAL, TO SAFEGUARD OUR INTERESTS, GIVE ADVANCED WARNING OF DEVELOPMENTS, AND TO SEEK TO INFLUENCE DECISION-MAKERS,+ MR MACLEOD SAID.

MORE EXCLUDED FROM PART II RENT CONTROL *****

FROM TOMORROW (WEDNESDAY), DOMESTIC TENANCIES OF PREMISES WITH A RATEABLE VALUE OF OR ABOVE $35 000 AS AT JUNE 10, 1983 ARE EXCLUDED FROM PART 1 OF THE LANDLORD AND TENANT (CONSOLIDATION) ORDINANCE, AND THE REVISED SYSTEM REGULATING RENT INCREASES BECOMES OPERATIVE,

THESE AMENDMENTS WERE ENACTED IN JUNE THIS YEAR.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE RATING AND VALUATION DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY THAT ABOUT 2 000 DOMESTIC TENANCIES OF PREMISES WITH A RATEABLE VALUE OF OR ABOVE $35 000 AS AT JUNE 10, 1983 (1.E. THE OLD RATEABLE VALUE BEFORE THE 1984 REVALUATION) WERE EXCLUDED FROM RENT INCREASE CONTROL UNDER PART II. THEY WOULD, HOWEVER BE PROTECTED UNDER PART IV, WHICH AFFORDS SECURITY OF TENURE AT THE PREVAILING MARKET RENT,

/UNDER PART