XN000022-1985-10-18 — Page 5

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1985

TRADITIONALLY, SIR DAVID SAID, TRADE FACILITATION HAD CONCENTRATED ON +WAYS AND MEANS TO SIMPLIFY INTERNATIONAL AND LOCAL TRADE DOCUMENTS AND PROCEDURES+.

THE ADVANCE OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY, HE SAID, HAD BROUGHT +A NEW DIMENSION+ TO TRADING BY MAKING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN TRADING PARTNERS + INSTANTANEOUS AND EXACT+.

SIR DAVID SAID THAT SIMPLIFYING AND REMOVING BARRIERS TO TRADE WAS NOT SO EASY AS IT SOUNDED.

+THERE IS HUMAN RESISTANCE TO CHANGE, PARTICULARLY IN SMALL AND MEDIUM BUSINESS OPERATIONS WHICH TEND TO STICK TO OLD AND TRIED PROCEDURES.+

THE TRADE FACILITATION COUNCIL SOUGHT TO BREAK DOWN THIS RESISTANCE, AND TO DEMONSTRATE BY PERSUASION THE +REMARKABLE RESULTS+ THAT COULD BE ACHIEVED WITH NEW METHODS AND PROCEDURES.

SIR DAVID SAID THAT +AT THIS TIME OF INCREASING PROTECTIONISM+ ANYTHING THAT COULD BE DONE TO FACILITATE TRADE DESERVED HELP. AND HE CALLED ON THE TRADING AND MANUFACTURING COMMUNITY+ TO GIVE ALL THE HELP THEY COULD AND THE +NECESSARY FINANCE+ TO THE COUNCIL, SO THAT IT COULD +EXTEND ITS SERVICES MORE WIDELY+,

+TO MEET THE CHALLENGES OF AN INCREASINGLY COMPETITIVE AND RESTRICTIVE TRADING ENVIRONMENT, HONG KONG MUST MAINTAIN ITS EFFICIENCY AND VERSATILITY, + HE SAID.

HONG KONG, SIR DAVID SAID, HAD STARTED WORK ON TRADE FACILITATION IN THE 1960'S WHICH HAD BY 1981 EVOLVED INTO THE INDEPENDENT TRADE FACILITATION COUNCIL OF TODAY.

SIR DAVID WISHED THE COUNCIL +EVERY SUCCESS IN ITS WORK+,

PLANS FOR POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL TRAINING OUTLINED

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THE GOVERNMENT IS ACTIVELY PURSUING ITS SEARCH FOR A PROMINENT ACADEMIC TO CHAIR THE WORKING PARTY ON POSTGRADUATE TRAINING FOR THE MEDICAL PROFESSION IN HONG KONG.

DISCLOSING THIS AT A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE HONG KONG ASSOCIATION OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY TODAY (FRIDAY), THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, DR RUDY KHOO SAID IT WAS ANTICIPATED THAT THE WORKING PARTY WOULD START TO FUNCTION SOME TIME NEXT YEAR.

+AND IF ALL GOES ACCORDING TO PLAN, A POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION BODY WILL BE FORMED BY 1988-89,+ HE ADDED.

/DR KHOO