XN000022-1987-11-05 — Page 27

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1987

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MRS CHOW STRESSED THAT SHOULD PROBLEMS ARISE CONCERNING ANY PARTICULAR FOREIGN GOVERNMENT OR ITS REPRESENTATIVE HERE, THESE COULD MORE EASILY BE SOLVED BETWEEN GOVERNMENTS, WITHOUT CREATING FURTHER MISUNDERSTANDING OR DELAY.

"LET THERE BE CO-OPERATION BETWEEN THE PUBLIC AND GOVERNMENT TO TRY AND SHORTEN THE TEETHING PERIOD AS FAR AS POSSIBLE THROUGH POSITIVE ACTION," SHE SAID.

WHICH FOR A

"THIS IS, BY FAR, PREFERABLE TO THE PRESENT SITUATION IN A SUSPICIOUS PUBLIC AND A DEFENSIVE GOVERNMENT PASS THE BUCK LOW APPLICATION RATE TO EACH OTHER WHILE THE REAL PROBLEMS REMAIN

UNRESOLVED.

SHE SAID IT DID NOT HELP THE BN(0) PASSPORT NOR ITS HOLDER WOULD SOONER OR LATER BE RELYING ON IT FOR OUTBOUND TRAVEL TO PUT THE APPLICATION OR THE USE OF IT.

WHO OFF

"ON THE CONTRARY, THE SOONER WE GET OVER THE TEETHING PROBLEMS THE BETTER IT WILL BE FOR PUBLIC CONFIDENCE. THIS PRINCIPLE TS FULLY RECOGNISED.

"HOWEVER, UNLESS GOVERNMENT IS SEEN TO ASSIST IN EVERY WAY IT CAN, WHO CAN BLAME ANYONE FOR THE 'LET SOMEBODY ELSE BE THE GUINEA PIG FIRST' ATTITUDE?"

MRS CHOW SAID IN SPITE OF THE UNCERTAINTIES CAUSED BY THE PASSPORT ISSUE, AND UNCOMFORTABLE RUMBLING IN THE OUTBOUND TRAVEL TRADE, HONG KONG PEOPLE TRAVELLED TO LANDS NEAR AND FAR FOR BUSINES9 AND PLEASURE LAST YEAR.

UP

THE VOLUME OF BUSINESS IN THE TRAVEL TRADE WAS CONSERVATIVELY

TAKEN ESTIMATED TO BE $9 BILLION, OF WHICH ALMOST 30 PER CENT WAS BY TOURS.

"WITH AN INDUSTRY THAT CATERS TO SO MANY CONSUMERS,

TO BE QUITE UNACCEPTABLE AND RETROGRESSIVE FOR GOVERNMENT PRACTISE LAISSEZ-FAIRE, PARTICULARLY IN THE LIGHT OF HAPPENED IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, SHE SAID.

IT WOULD PREACH OR WHAT HAS

·

"NO ONE WOULD DENY THAT THE TRADE IS IN A HARDLY HEALTHY STATE. BUT LET US NEVER FORGET THAT IT IS IN THE STATE IT IS

IN BECAUSE OF THE LAISSEZ-FAIRE POLICY IN THE FIRST PLACE AND THE CASH-IN-ADVANCE NATURE OF THE BUSINESS.

SHE SAID FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO WASH ITS HANDS OF THE MESS NOW IN THE HOLY NAME OF SELF-REGULATION WITH NEITHER LEGISLATIVE CONTROL NOR COMMUNITY MONITORING WAS A DANGEROUS STEP TO TAKE.

"TO ADOPT IT AS AN IMMEDIATE PANACEA WHEN EVEN THE TRADE ITSELF FEELS IT MAY NOT BE READY RUNS THE RISK OF CREATING INEQUITY WITHIN THE TRADE ITSELF, OR WORSE STILL, COSTING THE TRAVELLING PUBLIC A LOT MORE THAN IT SHOULD FAIRLY BE.

เ

MRS CHOW