XN000022-1985-07-04 — Page 6

THURSDAY, JULY 4,

1795

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REGISTRATION REVOKED

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THE COMMISSIONER OF DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES ANNOUNCED THAT THE REGISTRATION OF UNIPACIFIC FINANCE (INTERNATIONALE) LIMITED AS A DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANY HAS BEEN REVOKED AT ITS OWN REQUEST UNDER SECTION 14(2) OF THE DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES ORDINANCE.

NEW ORIGIN RULES PROMPT SPECIALISED KNITWEAR TRAINING

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ABOUT 30 TRAINEES ARE NOW RECEIVING SPECIALISED TRAINING IN THE USE OF COMPUTERISED KNITTING MACHINES AT THE TRAINING CENTRE RUN BY THE CLOTHING INDUSTRY TRAINING AUTHORITY AT KOWLOON BAY.

THIS FOLLOWS A RECENT MOVE BY LOCAL MANUFACTURERS TO ACQUIRE A LARGE NUMBER OF AUTOMATIC KNITTING MACHINES TO PRODUCE KNITTED SWEATERS IN HONG KONG WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW U.S. COUNTRY-OF-ORIGIN RULES IN APRIL THIS YEAR.

THESE RULES AFFECT THE IMPORT OF KNITTED PANELS FROM CHINA WHICH WERE MADE UP INTO FINISHED GARMENTS HERE FOR EXPORT.

AS MORE HOME-MADE KNITTED PANELS ARE REQUIRED UNDER THE NEW RULES, THE DEMAND FOR TRAINED WORKERS TO OPERATE THE NEW MACHINES HAS INCREASED.

IN RESPONSE TO THE URGENT NEED FOR TRAINING IN THE USE OF THESE MACHINES, THE AUTHORITY HAS ACQUIRED A MACHINE FROM THE JAPANESE SHIMA SEIKI MANUFACTURING COMPANY LIMITED ON LOAN, FREE OF CHARGE, TO TRAIN LOCAL WORKERS, THE CENTRE'S MANAGER, MR CHING LICK-SUN, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).

MR CHING SAID THAT TRAINING IN THE USE OF THE NEW MACHINE WAS ACTUALLY SUPPLEMENTARY TO THE TRAINING FOR THOSE ALREADY TAKING COURSES IN KNITWEAR PROCESSING AND POWER-FLAT KNITTING.

HE SAID THE DEMAND FOR LOCAL WORKERS IN THE KNITWEAR INDUSTRY HAD FLUCTUATED DURING THE PAST FEW YEARS BECAUSE A NUMBER OF MANUFACTURERS HAD MOVED THE IR PRODUCTION LINES FOR KNITTED PANELS TO CHINA,

+TIMES HAVE CHANGED AS A RESULT OF THE NEW U.S. ORIGIN RULES AND THE JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNGSTERS WHO WISH TO WORK IN THE KNITWEAR INDUSTRY HAVE GREATLY IMPROVED, MR CHING SAID.

IN THE FIRST HALF OF THIS YEAR, IT WAS REPORTED THAT SOME 300 MACHINES HAD BEEN ORDERED BY THE LOCAL KNITTERS AND IT IS ESTIMATED THAT BY THE END OF THIS YEAR THE NUMBER OF UNITS INSTALLED WOULD INCREASE TO 600.

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