XN000022-1986-10-08 — Page 7

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1986

MANY WAYS TO ASSIST INDUSTRY

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VIGOROUS DEFENCE OF HONG KONG'S RIGHT TO EXPORT IS ONE OF THE MOST POSITIVE WAYS IN WHICH THE GOVERNMENT IS ASSISTING INDUSTRY, BUT THERE ARE MANY OTHERS, THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

HE SAID THAT THE FINDINGS OF A SERIES OF RECENT STUDIES ON SPECIFIC INDUSTRIES INDICATED THAT THE AVAILABILITY OF TECHNOLOGY WAS OFTEN A CATALYST FOR FURTHER INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT.

+ACCORDINGLY, THE GOVERNMENT IS WORKING THROUGH BODIES LIKE THE HONG KONG PRODUCTIVITY COUNCIL AND THE INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT BOARD TO STIMULATE RESEARCH AND TO INTRODUCE INDUSTRIES TO THE NEW TECHNOLOGY AVAILABLE IN THE FIELDS OF INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION AND PRECISION TOOLING.

+THESE INITIATIVES NOT ONLY PROMOTE INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY, THEY ALSO HELP TO STRENGTHEN AND DIVERSIFY OUR INDUSTRIAL BASE, + SIR EDWARD SAID,

THE GOVERNMENT WAS ALSO SUPPORTING INDUSTRIAL GROWTH THROUGH INVESTMENT IN EDUCATION AND TRAINING.

IN THIS RESPECT, SIR EDWARD SAID, GRANTS TOTALLING SOME $550 MILLION WOULD BE MADE TO THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL THIS YEAR TO FUND THE TRAINING OF CRAFTSMEN, TECHNICIANS AND TECHNOLOGISTS.

THERE WERE NOW NEARLY 600 PLACES IN FIRST YEAR FIRST DEGREE COURSES IN PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL SUBJECTS AT THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC.

DEGREE COURSES WERE BEING INTRODUCED AT THE CITY POLYTECHNIC AND COURSES AT THE THIRD UNIVERSITY WOULD HAVE A STRONG BIAS TOWARDS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND PROFESSIONAL SUBJECTS.

NOTING THAT HONG KONG'S ECONOMIC PROSPERITY HAD BEEN FOUNDED ON ITS MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY, SIR EDWARD SAID THE INDUSTRY STILL ACCOUNTED FOR A QUARTER OF THE GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT AND PROVIDED JOBS FOR 35 PER CENT OF THE LABOUR FORCE.

REFERRING TO THE ASSURANCE OF THE QUALITY OF HONG KONG'S MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS, THE GOVERNOR SAID SOME ENCOURAGING PROGRESS HAD BEEN MADE IN THIS FIELD THIS YEAR.

+IN JULY, THE HONG KONG STANDARDS AND CALIBRATION LABORATORY OBTAINED FORMÁL RECOGNITION FROM THE NATIONAL MEASUREMENT ACCREDITATION SERVICE UNDER THE BRITISH CALIBRATION SERVICES.

+THE HONG KONG LABORATORY ACCREDITATION SCHEME HAS ALSO HELPED TO UPGRADE OUR COMMERCIAL TESTING LABORATORIES FOR THE BENEFIT OF OUR INDUSTRY, SIR EDWARD ADDED.

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