XN000022-1989-04-01 — Page 2

SATURDAY, APRIL 1. 1989

1.

ACCURATE INFORMATION FOR CONSUMERS ESSENTIAL: CS

TIMELY AND ACCURATE CONSUMER INFORMATION IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE SMOOTH OPERATION OF A FREE MARKET, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID FORD, SAID TODAY (SATURDAY) AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE CONSUMER COUNCIL'S "RIGHT TO KNOW EXHIBITION".

NOTING

THAT HONG KONG WAS JUSTIFIABLY PROUD OF ITS INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION AS A FREE MARKET, THAT IS, FREE OF TRADE BARRIERS, FREE OF PRICE CONTROLS AND FREE OF BUREAUCRATIC INTERFERENCE IN THE OPERATION OF MARKET FORCES, SIR DAVID SAID, HOWEVER, A FREE MARKET DID NOT MEAN A MARKET "WHERE ANYTHING GOES".

SAFETY AND WE NEED TO

"WE NEED TO SAFEGUARD THE CONSUMERS' PROTECT THE CONSUMERS' RIGHTS." HE SAID.

"AS PART OF THAT PROTECTION, WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT CONSUMERS CAN CHOOSE WISELY ON THE BASIS OF A FREE

OF INFORMATION ABOUT PRODUCTS AND SERVICES.

FLOW

SHOWED HOW IMPORTANT CONSUMER

SIR DAVID SAID THE EXHIBITION INFORMATION WAS TO DAILY LIVES AND HOW IT COULD AFFECT SUCH DECISIONS AS BUYING A HOME, FOOD AND CLOTHING.

"IN PARTICULAR IT GIVES US A CLEAR IDEA OF WHAT ΤΟ LOOK OUT FOR AND HOW WE CAN AVOID PITFALLS IN MAKING IMPORTANT BUYING DECISIONS," HE SAID.

OVER THE

RIGHTS,

YEARS

AND

AND'

SIR DAVID PRAISED THE COUNCIL FOR BUILDING UP

OF CONSUMERS' AN EXCELLENT REPUTATION AS THE GUARDIAN ADDED THAT ITS HIGHLY INFORMATIVE AND USEFUL PUBLICATIONS EXHIBITIONS HAD WON WIDE ACCLAIM FROM THE COMMUNITY.

J

-

FIRST-DEGREE GRADUATES TO EXCEED 15,000 YEARLY BY 1999

NEW

THE TOTAL NUMBER OF

FIRST-DEGREE GRADUATES PRODUCED BY HONG KONG'S TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS EACH YBAR WAS TODAY (SATURDAY) FORECAST TO RISE TO MORE THAN 15,000 BY 1999.

ASSOCIATION,

TSAO, IN

SPEAKING AT A PRESENTATION DINNER OF DISTINGUISHED SALESMAN AWARDS ORGANISED BY THE HONG KONG MANAGEMENT

THE SECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AND INFORMATION, MR PETER SAID THAT JUST OVER 3,000 NEW FIRST-DEGREE GRADUATES WERE PRODUCED 1987.

3,750 AND WILL

TO "IN 1988, THAT NUMBER ROSE BY 24 PER CENT GROW FURTHER THIS YEAR BY 15 PER CENT TO 4,330," HE SAID.

"BY 1999