XN000022-1988-01-14 — Page 12

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 1988

"SO FAR, ABOUT 200 OF THE PLANNED TOTAL OF 300 FACTORIES IN THE MAJOR MANUFACTURING SECTORS HAVE BEEN VISITED

BY THE THREE IES TEAMS WHO WERE GENERALLY WELCOMED BY MANUFACTURERS.

"THEY DISCOVERED THAT MOST MANUFACTURERS VISITED HAD ONLY A VERY BASIC KNOWLEDGE OF THE SUPPORT SERVICES AVAILABLE FOR INDUSTRY AND WERE VERY INTERESTED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE INDUSTRIAL SUPPORT SERVICES PROVIDED BY GOVERNMENT AND OTHER ORGANISATIONS.

"THERE HAS ALSO BEEN AN ENCOURAGING DEGREE OF WILLINGNESS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AVAILABLE SERVICES AND SOME MANUFACTURERS HAVE BEEN PREPARED TO PAY FOR CONSULTANCY SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE HONG KONO PRODUCTIVITY COUNCIL AND THE HONG KONG DESIGN INNOVATION COMPANY.

"A SOMEWHAT LARGER NUMBER HAVE APPROACHED THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT FOR INFORMATION ON QUALITY MATTERS OR THE HONG KONG PRODUCTIVITY COUNCIL FOR TECHNICAL ADVICE.

"THERE HAS ALSO BEEN CONSIDERABLE INTEREST IN THE TRAINING COURSES AVAILABLE FROM THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL, THE CLOTHING INDUSTRY TRAINING AUTHORITY AND THE HONG KONG PRODUCTIVITY COUNCIL.

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MR LEUNG ALSO NOTED THAT MANY MANUFACTURERS HAD WELCOMED THE FACTORY VISITS AS AN INDICATION THAT GOVERNMENT WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SMALLER MANUFACTURERS.

HE ADDED THAT THE FACTORY VISITS HAD ALSO PROVED USEFUL AS A MEANS OF OBTAINING MANUFACTURERS' OPINIONS ON DIFFERENT ISSUES AND THEY HAD BEEN ABLE TO USE THOSE VISITS TO ASSESS THE LIKELY REACTION TO A NUMBER OF QUALITY PROMOTION MEASURES BEING CONSIDERED BY GOVERNMENT.

"THE PILOT SCHEME IS PLANNED TO LAST FOR SIX MONTHS AND WILL FINISH IN EARLY MARCH 1988.

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MR LEUNG SAID THEY HOPED то RUN THE PERMANENT SERVICE AT A MODEST LEVEL INITIALLY BUT INTENDED THAT THEIR EFFORTS WOULD GROW IN LINE WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF SUPPORT AND THAT THE EXTENSION SERVICE WOULD BECOME AN INCREASINGLY FUNCTION OF THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT.

EXTENSION MARKETING

SERVICES IMPORTANT

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