XN000022-1987-01-14 — Page 19

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 1987

HE SAID IT WAS CLEAR THAT HONG KONG'S MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY WAS ALREADY EXPERIENCING CONSTANT AND INCREASING PRESSURE FROM COMPETITORS WHO SOUGHT ALL MEANS TO EXPAND THEIR SHARE OF THE SAME FOREIGN MARKETS HONG KONG WAS SELLING TO.

HE NOTED THAT A NUMBER OF THE COUNTRIES WHICH COMPETED MOST EFFECTIVELY AGAINST HONG KONG FOLLOWED VERY DIFFERENT INDUSTRIAL POLICIES TO THOSE OF HONG KONG'S. SOME HAD BEEN PREPARED TO SPEND LARGE SUMS OF PUBLIC MONEY TO ASSIST THEIR INDUSTRIES, INCLUDING TECHNICAL TRAINING.

HONG KONG, HOWEVER, HAD BEEN SLOW TO REACT TO THE NEED FOR EXPANDING TERTIARY EDUCATION FACILITIES WHICH WERE ESSENTIAL TO ITS LONG-TERM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

+I BELIEVE THAT A DETAILED EXAMINATION OF OUR PRODUCTIVITY TRAINING AND CONSULTANCY SERVICES SHOULD BE CARRIED OUT TO SEE WHETHER THE EXISTING SERVICES ARE ADEQUATE FOR THE SIZE AND TECHNOLOGICAL CHARACTER OF OUR INDUSTRY+, HE SAID.

MR CLYDESDALE NOTED THAT MANAGEMENT TRAINING IN HONG KONG WAS LARGELY PROVIDED BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR ITSELF WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE HONG KONG MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION.

+ IT SEEMS THAT WE HAVE NOT RECOGNISED QUICKLY ENOUGH THE NEED FOR MANAGEMENT KNOWLEDGE BY OUR YOUNG MANAGERS. THERE SHOULD SURELY BE MANAGEMENT TRAINING FACILITIES IN ALL MAIN DISTRICTS OF HONG KONG ORGANISED OR COORDINATED BY THE HKMA,+ HE SAID.

HE SAID A VERY SMALL EXPENDITURE OF PUBLIC FUNDS WAS UNWILLINGLY ALLOCATED TO THIS IMPORTANT ORGANISATION. IN 1986, ONLY $100 000 WAS PROVIDED TO THE HKMA.

MR CLYDESDALE NOTED THAT HONG KONG HAD TENDED TO TAKE AN AD HOC VIEW OF INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT FOR MANY YEARS, DEALING WITH PROBLEMS AND NEEDS AS THEY BECAME IMPOSSIBLE TO IGNORE.

+WE TAKE PRIDE IN REFLECTING THAT WE DO NOT HAVE AN INDUSTRIAL POLICY AS SUCH, HE SAID.

+BUT TIMES HAVE CHANGED AND IF WE ACCEPT THAT INDUSTRY CONTINUES TO BE VITALLY IMPORTANT TO OUR ECONOMY, THEN WE MUST HAVE MUCH MORE INFORMATION ON ITS PERFORMANCE AND ITS POTENTIAL THAN WE HAVE NOW.+

/HE SAID THAT ...