XN000022-1985-04-17 — Page 26

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 1985

+IN THIS CONNECTION, THE INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT BOARD (IDB) HAS FORMULATED A PHASED PROGRAMME FOR CONDUCTING REGULAR TECHNO- ECONOMIC AND MARKETING STUDIES ON THE MAJOR SECTORS OF THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY, NAMELY ELECTRONICS, PLASTICS, METAL AND LIGHT ENGINEERING AND GARMENTS/TEXTILES.

MR HO SAID THAT THE IMPORTANCE OF PROMOTING A POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARDS INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION WAS WELL RECOGNISED BY IDB.

+ON THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE BOARD, PROVISIONS HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE 1985-86 ESTIMATES TO EXPAND THE CAPABILITIES OF THE HKPC FOR THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE CENTRE'S TWO COMPUTER- AIDED DESIGN SYSTEMS FOR PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARDS DESIGN AND PATTERN GRADING, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MARKET MAKING SYSTEM.

+ THE CENTRE HAS ALSO PREPARED, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT, A FURTHER DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR AUGMENTING ITS CAPABILITIES ON INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION AND METAL DEVELOPMENT SERVICES COVERING A THREE-YEAR PERIOD.+

WITH REGARD TO REFERENCE TO THE DELAY IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A PRODUCT INNOVATION AND DESIGN UNIT (PIDU), MR HO SAID THAT AT ITS MEETING ON MARCH 25 THIS YEAR THE IDB ENDORSED A DEFINITIVE SCHEME WHICH WAS CURRENTLY ON THE AGENDA OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL FOR THE VOTING OF THE NECESSARY FUNDS.

MR HO GAVE AN ACCOUNT OF THE STEPS TAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT IN RESPECT OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF PIDU AND MAINTAINED THAT NONE OF THEM COULD HAVE BEEN CUT.

ON THE QUESTION CONCERNING HONG KONG'S INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENT PROMOTION EFFORT AND WHETHER THIS WORK COULD NOT BE MORE EFFECTIVELY CARRIED OUT BY THE HONG KONG TRADE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL (TDC) THAN BY THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT DIRECT, MR HO SAID, THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON DIVERSIFICATION CONSIDERED THAT DIRECT GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT IN PROMOTING INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENT OVERSEAS WAS NOT ONLY DESIRABLE BUT NECESSARY.+

THE PRIMARY FUNCTION OF THE TDC IS TO PROMOTE, ASSIST AND DEVELOP HONG KONG'S OVERSEAS TRADE, WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO EXPORTS, WHILE INDUSTRIAL PROMOTION INVOLVES THE TARGETING OF SPECIFIC COMPANIES AND DIRECT EFFORTS TO INTEREST THEM IN HONG KONG.

+EFFECTIVE EFFORTS IN THIS LATTER FIELD NEED A SOUND DATA BASE WELL-DEVELOPED BACK-UP FACILITIES AND TECHNICALLY COMPETENT SPECIALIST STAFF WITH INDUSTRIAL BACKGROUND SO THAT THEY COULD DISCUSS WITH INDUSTRIALISTS IN THEIR OWN TERMS.

+THUS IF TDC WERE TO TAKE ON THIS SPECIALISED FUNCTION AS WELL, IT WOULD NEED SEPARATE SPECIALIST STAFF. THE TDC, AS PRESENTLY STAFFED, CANNOT TAKE ON THIS EXTRA TASK AND MAINTAIN, MUCH LESS IMPROVE, PERFORMANCE,+ MR HO SAID.

/POINTING CUT