XN000022-1987-11-04 — Page 13

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1987

"THIS WAS TRUE FOR SITUATION HAS ALREADY CHANGED,

12

SOME

**

TIME, HE SAID.

BUT I CONSIDER THAT THE

AREAD WAS HE NOTED THAT UP TO THE EARLY 1970'S, HONG KONG

OF DEVELOPMENT IN THE TAIWAN AND SOUTH KOREA. BUT AS A RESULT OF THEIR LAST DECADE, THEY HAD ALREADY OVERTAKEN HONG KONG.

AT THE SAME TIME, OWING TO THE RAPID COMMUNICATION OF DATA, OUTSIDE CHANGES AFFECTED HONG KONG MORE QUICKLY THAN THEY AFFECTED THE TERRITORY'S NEIGHBOURS.

THEREFORE, HONG KONG SHOULD REALISE ITS CONSTRAINTS AND SHOULD BE CAUTIOUS AND NOT OVER-AMBITIOUS WHEN FORMULATING POLICY DECISIONS, MR WONG SAID.

TURNING TO THE LABOUR SHORTAGE QUESTION, MR WONG SAID THE VARIOUS INDUSTRIES SHOULD, WITHIN THEIR OWN CAPABILITIES, PROVIDE MORE BENEFICIAL CONDITIONS FOR THEIR WORKFORCE, INCLUDING BETTER WAGEES AND OTHER FRINGE BENEFITS TO ATTRACT WORKERS.

HE SUGGESTED THAT MEASURES SHOULD BE TAKEN ΤΟ REDUCE THE NUMBER OF HAWKERS WHO REPRESENTED A DRAIN ON THE WORKFORCE. BESIDES, THE SCHEME TO REVOKE HAWKER LICENCES WITH CASH COMPENSATION SHOULD BR ACTIVELY PROMOTED.

HE A1.90 SUGGESTED THAT MORE SUBSIDISED NURSERIES BE ESTABLISHED 90 THAT MORE WOMEN COULD TAKE UP EMPLOYMENT.

MR WONG ALSO NOTED THAT LAWS REGULATING OVER-TIME WORK BY WOMEN HAD BEEN IN FORCE FOR MORE THAN A DECADE.

HE SAID THESE REGULATIONS SHOULD BE REVIEWED BECAUSE, WITH THE CHANGE OF SOCIAL CIRCUMSTANCES, WOMEN'S STATUS HAD BEEN ELEVATED AND THEIR INDEPENDENCE WAS NOW EVEN STRONGER. OVER-RESTRICTION MIGHT CONTRADICT THEIR DESIRE FOR MORE WORK, HE SAID.

OVERALL, MR WONG SAID, THE GOVERNMENT COULD STILL DO A LOT FOR

INDUSTRY.

"FOR MANY YEARS, FOR CERTAIN REASONS WHICH I PERSONALLY DO NOT QUITE UNDERSTAND, WE HAVE NOT BEEN ADOPTING A POSITIVE AND ACTIVE ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY,"

THE RECENT ALLOCATION OF $100 MILLION OR $200 MILLION TO THE HONG KONG PRODUCTIVITY COUNCIL HAD BEEN REGARDED AS AN UNPRECEDENTED, BIG ISSUE.

OF

"COMPARED WITH THE ALLOCATIONS, WHETHER VOLUNTARY OR INVOLUNTARY,

BILLIONS OF DOLLARS FROM THE EXCHANGE FUND,

IS OBVIOUS, TO SOME OTHER INDUSTRIES, THE DIFFERENCE IN THE AMOUNTS HE OBSERVED.

/HE CONSIDERED