XN000022-1987-04-01 — Page 26

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 1987

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GOVERNMENT'S ROLE IN INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT STRESSED

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THE GOVERNMENT'S PART IN HONG KONG'S INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT IS TO ENSURE THAT THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT EXISTS FOR INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENT TO TAKE PLACE AND FOR BUSINESS TO FLOURISH, THE SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY, THE HON ERIC HO, SAID TODAY WEDNESDAY).

SPEAKING AT THE RESUMED DEBATE ON THE APPROPRIATIONS BILL 1987, MR HO SAID GOVERNMENT HAD PROVIDED STRONG INFRASTRUCTURAL AND SUPPORT SERVICES FOR THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR, SOUND EDUCATIONAL AND MANPOWER TRAINING PROGRAMMES, SPECIAL INDUSTRIAL LAND AND OTHER PUBLIC WORKS, AND ENSURED THAT ESSENTIAL UTILITIES WERE AVAILABLE.

THE GOVERNMENT ALSO SUPPORTED INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS AND TECHNICAL SERVICES TO FACILITATE THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW TECHNOLOGY AND NEW MANUFACTURING PROCESSES, HE ADDED.

MR HO SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS ALSO CONSTANTLY ON THE LOOK-OUT FOR NEW POSSIBILITIES FOR INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT.

+ON THE ADVICE OF THE INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT BOARD (IDB) WE HAVE AN ON-GOING PROGRAMME OF TECHNO-ECONOMIC AND MARKET RESEARCH STUDIES OF VARIOUS INDUSTRIES.

+EACH STUDY INVOLVES IN-DEPTH INVESTIGATIONS BY EXPERTS OF THE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES AS WELL AS FORECASTS OF POSSIBLE CHANGES IN THE TYPE AND LEVEL OF WORLD DEMAND FOR THE PRODUCTS MADE BY THE INDUSTRY BEING STUDIED.+

ON THE PACE OF UPGRADING ACHIEVED BY THE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY. MR HO SAID ON THE BASIS OF THE EVALUATION BY THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT AND THE HONG KONG PRODUCTIVITY COUNCIL, THE INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT BOARD WAS SATISFIED THAT THE NEED FOR MORE ELECTRONIC ENGINEERS WAS IDENTIFIED.

+WE THEN RECOMMENDED THE TERTIARY EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS THROUGH THE UPGC, TO DEVOTE PRIORITY TO A LARGER OUTPUT OF ELECTRONIC ENGINEERS DURING THE NEXT TRIENNIUM.

+SECONDLY, AN IDENTIFIED GAP BETWEEN WHAT ELECTRONICS

ENGINEERING UNDERGRADUATES WERE BEING TAUGHT AND WHAT THEIR PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYERS EXPECTED OF THEM WAS ALSO BROUGHT TO THE NOTICE OF THE TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS SO THAT THEY MIGHT MODIFY THEIR CURRICULA WITH A VIEW TO THEIR GRADUATES BECOMING MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE IN COMPUTER AND MICROPROCESSOR TECHNOLOGIES.

+THIRDLY, HAVING ESTABLISHED A GROWING WORLD TREND TOWARDS THE USE OF APPLICATION SPECIFIC INTEGRATED CIRCUITS, THE DESIGN OF WHICH INVOLVES SKILLS WHICH ARE NOT YET BEING TAUGHT IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS, THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT SOUGHT THE ALLOCATION OF FUNDS FOR A PILOT SCHEME TO BE LAUNCHED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL TO ENABLE PRACTISING ENGINEERS TO LEARN THESE DESIGN SKILLS ABROAD,+

/MR HO