XN000022-1985-03-27 — Page 28

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 1985

HE SAID THAT DURING THE LATTER PART OF 1979, A PROPOSAL WAS PUT FORWARD TO GOVERNMENT TO ESTABLISH A PIDU,

+THIS PROPOSAL WENT THROUGH THE GOVERNMENT'S BUREAUCRATIC MACHINERY AND TO THIS DATE, UNDERSTAND IT IS STILL IN THE DISCUSSION STAGE, WITH NO DEFINITE COMMITMENT.

+WE CONTINUE TO HEAR OF THE GOVERNMENT'S POSITIVE NON- INTERVENTION POLICY, YET GOVERNMENT WILL PROVIDE INFRASTRUCTURAL SUPPORT TO STRENGTHEN OUR INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT.

+TO ESTABLISH A PIDU IS CERTAINLY IN LINE WITH THE GOVERNMENT POLICY OF PROVIDING INFRASTRUCTURAL SUPPORT.

+WE MUST MOVE AHEAD AS WE HAVE ALREADY LOST VALUABLE YEARS PONDERING OVER THE PROPOSAL, HE SAID.

TURNING TO THE QUESTION OF INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, HE SAID HONG KONG HAD PROGRESSED FROM THE LARGELY LABOUR INTENSIVE STAGE OF PRODUCTION, AND, HAVING MADE SIGNIFICANT GAINS IN BOTH THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC FRONTS, SHOULD NOW BE TAKING A STEP IN THE DIRECTION OF INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION. +

HE NOTED THAT A PROPOSAL HAD BEEN PUT FORWARD BY THE HONG KONG PRODUCTIVITY CENTRE TO ESTABLISH AN INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION UNIT WITHIN THE CENTRE TO CATER FOR THE REQUIREMENTS OF INDUSTRY, TO ASSIST INDUSTRY REGARDLESS WHETHER IT WAS LARGE OR SMALL, TO MOVE TOWARDS AUTOMATING THE MANUFACTURING PROCESSES, TO STRENGTHEN OUR COMPETITIVE EDGE AND TO PROVIDE CONSISTENT QUALITY AND DELIVERY OF OUR PRODUCTS.

+1 HOPE TO HEAR A POSITIVE RESPONSE FROM GOVERNMENT TOWARDS THIS PROPOSAL AND THAT WE WILL NOT HAVE TO WAIT FOR FIVE YEARS AND END UP IN THE DISCUSSION STAGE,+ HE SAID.

TURNING TO PROMOTION OF FOREIGN INVESTMENT, MR LEE REFERRED THE POINTS RAISED ON THIS TOPIC BY THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS DURING A FINANCE COMMITTEE SESSION EARLY THIS MONTH.

+FIRSTLY, WE ARE CONCERNED WITH GOVERNMENT'S ACTIVITIES IN THE PROMOTIONAL ASPECTS OF FOREIGN INVESTMENT.

+SECONDLY, WE WOULD LIKE TO ENQUIRE IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER AVENUES WHICH THE GOVERNMENT MAY HAVE POSSIBLY OVERLOOKED, + HE SAID.

MR LEE EMPHASISED THAT IT WAS NOT THE $19 MILLION THAT HE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT BUT IT WAS THE RESULT, THE BOTTOM LINE THAT COUNTED.

+HAS THE GOVERNMENT LOOKED FOR OTHER AVENUES THAT MIGHT BE MORE EFFECTIVE IN THE PROMOTION OF FOREIGN INVESTMENT,+ HE ASKED.