XN000022-1990-01-15 — Page 12

MONDAY, JANUARY 15, 1990

11

HONG KONG [S

RENOWNED

FOR ITS

SENSATIONAL

"I KNOW THAT DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, BUT THIS PROGRAMME OF INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT WILL BE THE LARGEST AND MOST EXCITING YET, HE SAID.

HONG

WHILE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE WAS VITAL, SIR PIERS SAID KONG HAD ALSO BEEN ABLE то MAINTAIN

TECHNOLOGICAL STANDARDS IN TELECOMMUNICATIONS.

WORLD-CLASS

FURTHER

WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF CABLE TELEVISION, HONG KONG WOULD ACQUIRE A SECOND TELECOMMUNICATIONS NETWORK, AND STRENGTHEN OUR LINKS WITH THE WORLD, HE SAID.

THIS WOULD

WITHOUT

"LOOKING TO THE FUTURE, ROUTINE BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS WILL INCREASINGLY BE DONE BY COMPUTER TO THE NEED FOR HUMAN INTERVENTION,

COMPUTER

COMMUNICATION,

"THIS 'ELECTRONIC DATA INTERCHANGE' OR EDI WILL BE OF FOR WHOM SPEED PARTICULAR VALUE TO ORGANISATIONS INVOLVED IN TRADING, AND ACCURACY IN HANDLING DOCUMENTATION ARE CRITICAL TO PROFIT MARGINS AND CUSTOMER RELATIONS.

"IT WILL BE IMPORTANT FOR HONG KONG NOT TO LAG BEHIND

PARTNERS IN RESPECT, PARTICULARLY IN RELATION TO ITS TRADING AND THE U.S. WHERE EDT IS BECOMING WELL-ESTABLISHED.

CAN

IN THIS EUROPE

OR SHOULD THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SUBJECT IS

"THE GOVERNMENT 18 CURRENTLY EXPLORING WHAT IT DO, TOGETHER WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR, TO SUPPORT EDI IN THE TRADING COMMUNITY IN HONG KONG. BUT WE CANNOT IGNORE IT, HE SAID.

"

SPEAKING OF HONG KONG'S PEOPLE

COMPLEX,

ANOTHER CORNERSTONE FOR THAT HONG KONG'S ABILITY TO CONTINUED PROSPERITY, SIR PIERS NOTED RESPOND POSITIVELY TO ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND THREAT ALIKE WAS DUE TO THE EXTRAORDINARY FLEXIBILITY AND RESILIENCE OF ITS PEOPLE.

"ONE CONSEQUENCE OF THAT ENTREPRENEURIAL

HONG KONG ECONOMY IS FRAGMENTED.

"HONG KONG CARRIES

TENS OF

SPIRIT IS THAT THE

THOUSANDS OF MANUFACTURING AND TRADING ENTERPRISES, EACH WITH, ON AVERAGE, JUST A HANDFUL OF

EMPLOYEES.

"ALTHOUGH HONG KONG DOES HAVE SOME LARGE AND SUCCESSFUL THE TYPICAL ENTERPRISE IS SMALL AND IT IS LINKED TO MANY OTHER CONCERNS TO FORM AN EXTENDED NETWORK OF

SUB-CONTRACTORS,

SERVICE PROVIDERS, BROKERS AND SO ON.

FIRMS,

SUCH

SUPPLIERS,

HAVE IN HONG KONG OFFERS

AND SATISFACTION

THAT

WE "THIS BUSINESS STRUCTURE THAT UNPARALLELED ADAPTABILITY PLUS THE MOTIVATION COMES WITH OWNERSHIP AND INDEPENDENCE. HE SAID.

г

IN RAPIDLY SIR PIERS AFFIRMED THAT THESE WERE VALUABLE ASSETS

EXPERTS MANAGEMENT

ARE CHANGING WORLD MARKETS, "SO MUCH SO THAT U.S. NOW SUGGESTING THAT THE NETWORK MODEL MAY BE OF THE FUTURE".

THE

INDUSTRY STRUCTURE

/"I ACCEPT