XN000022-1987-04-16 — Page 7

THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 1987

+ THE NEED FOR AN ADDITIONAL STRATEGIC ROAD LINK BETWEEN EAST SHA TIN AND KOWLOON WAS IDENTIFIED IN THE NORTHEAST NEW TERRITORIES STUDY (NENTS) COMPLETED IN 1982.

+PARALLEL INVESTIGATIONS BY THE HIGHWAYS OFFICE INDICATED THAT A TUNNEL STARTING IN THE REGION OF DIAMOND HILL QUARRY COULD BE DRIVEN UNDER TATE'S CAIRN TO SHA TIN,+ HE SAID.

IN APRIL 1986, THE GOVERNMENT APPOINTED CONSULTANTS TO CONDUCT AN ENGINEERING FEASIBILITY STUDY TO ESTABLISH THE ALIGNMENT OF THE TUNNEL AND ITS CONNECTING ROADS AND TO PREPARE PRELIMINARY DESIGNS. THE CONSULTANTS' FINDINGS HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED BY GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS CONCERNED AS A SATISFACTORY BASIS FOR DETAILED DESIGN.

NO LETDOWN ON GUARD AGAINST CERTIFICATION SYSTEM ABUSE

*****

THE TRADE AND CUSTOMS AND EXCISE DEPARTMENTS TAKE A SERIOUS VIEW OF COMPANIES WHICH BREACH ANY OF THE CONDITIONS OF THE TEXTILES CERTIFICATION AND LICENSING SYSTEM.

THIS WAS STATED BY ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF TRADE (SYSTEMS), MR ALAN LAI, AT A MEETING WITH MEMBERS OF THE CLOTHING INDUSTRY WORKERS GENERAL UNION THIS EVENING (APRIL 16).

THE MEETING WAS ARRANGED FOLLOWING ALLEGATIONS BY THE UNION THAT SOME MANUFACTURERS WERE CONTRACTING THE LINKING AND LOOPING PROCESSES AND THE MANUFACTURE OF KNITWEAR GARMENTS TO FACTOR IES IN CHINA. A SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE UNION CLAIMED THAT SOME WORKERS WERE ASKED TO ACT IN COLLUSION WITH MANUFACTURERS TO GIVE FALSE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ORIGIN OF THE FINISHED PRODUCTS.

MR LAI SAID THE MEETING HAD BEEN USEFUL AND HAD CLARIFIED CERTAIN MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT THE NEED FOR CERTIFICATION, AND THE NEED TO CARRY OUT OPERATIONS IN HONG KONG IN ALL CASES.

MR LAI ADDED THAT CERTIFICATION WAS NOT REQUIRED IN RESPECT OF ITEMS WHICH WERE MADE FOR THE HONG KONG MARKET, OR FOR OVERSEAS MARKETS WHICH DID NOT REQUIRE CERTIFICATION. IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, LINKING AND LOOPING COULD LEGITIMATELY BE PERFORMED ELSEWHERE.

MR LAI EXPLAINED THAT KNITWEAR IS ELIGIBLE FOR A CERTIFICATE OF HONG KONG ORIGIN ONLY IF THE PROCESS OF LINKING AND LOOPING, WHICH IS REGARDED BY HONG KONG AS THE PRINCIPAL MANUFACTURING PROCESSES, HAS BEEN CARRIED OUT IN HONG KONG.

/MR LAI