XN000022-1987-01-26 — Page 3

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MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 1987

+AND IN REACHING OUR CONCLUSIONS, THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE PEARL RIVER DELTA, THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE MAJOR RAIL LINES TO MORE DISTANT PARTS OF CHINA AND OUR ROLE AS A REGIONAL CENTRE FOR TRADE IN THE WESTERN PACIFIC MUST BE TAKEN FULLY INTO ACCOUNT, SIR DAVID SAID.

+TO MEET DEMAND IN THE SHORT TERM, HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL TERMINALS ARE RECLAIMING TERMINAL 6 AND INITIAL PLANNING HAS BEGUN FOR TERMINAL 7, WHICH IS PROBABLY THE LAST OF THE KWAI CHUNG TERMINALS.+

HE SAID THAT THE CONTAINER FREIGHT STATION WAS PART OF THE CONTINUING DEVELOPMENT OF THE PORT AND ITS INFRASTRUCTURE.

HE CONGRATUATED THOSE WHO HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN ITS DEVELOPMENT, WHICH WAS A SUBSTANTIAL INVESTMENT INDICATING CONFIDENCE NOT ONLY IN FUTURE ROLE OF THE PORT, BUT IN THE VERY FUTURE OF HONG KONG.

NEW CENTRE IS AMPLE EVIDENCE OF COMMITMENT'

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THE GOVERNMENT IS FULLY COMMITTED TO HELPING HONG KONG INDUSTRIES BY PROVIDING INDUSTRIAL SUPPORT SERVICES, AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PRODUCTIVITY COUNCIL'S CAD/CAM CENTRE TO ENCOURAGE MANUFACTURERS TO AUTOMATE PRODUCTION WAS AMPLE EVIDENCE OF THIS COMMITMENT, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, MR PIERS JACOBS, SAID TODAY (MONDAY).

OFFICIATING AT THE OPENING OF THE CENTRE, MR JACOBS SAID IT WAS A MAJOR COMPONENT OF THE +UNIFIED APPROACH ADOPTED BY THE GOVERNMENT TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL INDUSTRIES THROUGH THE COUNCIL.

+FOR THE CURRENT FINANCIAL YEAR, $19 MILLION HAVE BEEN PROVIDED TO IMPLEMENT THE FIRST STAGE OF THIS UNIFIED APPROACH'.

+OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS, OVER $30 MILLION WILL BE ALLOCATED TO THE COUNCIL TO FURTHER DEVELOP THE INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION SERVICE AND AUGMENT THE METAL PRODUCTION ADVISORY SERVICE.+

MR JACOBS EMPHASISED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE COUNCIL ROLE IN PROMOTING INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION AMONG LOCAL INDUSTRIALISTS BY PROVIDING SERVICES AND FACILITIES WHICH CATER TO COMMON AUTOMATION NEEDS, TECHNICAL CONSULTANCY SERVICES WHICH MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF INDIVIDUAL COMPANIES AND BUREAU SERVICE AND PRACTICAL HANDS-ON TRAINING IN SELECTED AREAS.

HE URGED HONG KONG MANUFACTURERS TO MAKE THE FULLEST USE OF THE SERVICES OFFERED BY THE CENTRE.

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