XN000022-1991-01-17 — Page 12

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 1991

"FOR EXAMPLE, I BELIEVE THAT FRANCE EXPORTED TO HONG KONG OVER $100 MILLION OF PAPER AND PAPER BOARD LAST YEAR. I HOPE THAT AT LEAST SOME OF THIS WAS OF THE RECYCLED VARIETY.

"WE IN EPD ARE CERTAINLY VERY KEEN TO PROMOTE THE USE OF RECYCLED PAPER WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT AND ELSEWHERE IN HONG KONG AND WE HAVE A NUMBER OF SCHEMES UNDERWAY AT PRESENT INVOLVING EITHER WASTE PAPER COLLECTION OR TRIALS OF RECYCLED PRODUCTS.

THE VERSIONS FITTED WITH

"ALSO, I HOPE THAT VEHICLE IMPORTERS WILL BE READY TO IMPORT CATALYTIC CONVERTERS SHORTLY AFTER WE INTRODUCE UNLEADED PETROL ON APRIL 1, 1991 AND IN ADVANCE OF THE STATUTORY REQUIREMENT IN EARLY 1992 FOR NEW CARS TO BE FITTED WITH CATALYTIC CONVERTERS."

DR REED SAID ANOTHER WAY THAT MEMBERS OF THE FRENCH BUSINESS ASSOCIATION COULD CONTRIBUTE TO IMPROVE HONG KONG'S ENVIRONMENT WAS WHERE THEY WERE RESOURCING FRENCH IMPORTS FROM HONG KONG.

"YOU CAN DO THIS BY TAKING A DIRECT INTEREST IN THE EFFECT THAT THE PRODUCTION OF SUCH ITEMS HAS ON THE HONG KONG ENVIRONMENT, HE SAID.

"YOU

MAY FEEL THAT I AM BEING UNREALISTIC IN SUGGESTING ΤΟ YOU THAT YOU DON'T SOURCE THESE GOODS FROM FACTORIES THAT PUSH OUT · WAVES OF BLUE AND ORANGE DYES INTO THE NEW TERRITORIES STREAMS AND OUR COASTAL WATERS," HE SAID, "ALTHOUGH I KNOW OF ONE MAJOR INTERNATIONAL CLOTHING CHAIN IN HONG KONG WHICH IS CONSIDERING DOING JUST THAT.'

TT

HONG KONG EXPORTED AND RE-EXPORTED TO FRANCE OVER $1 BILLION WORTH OF CLOTHING IN 1990.

DR REED SAID MEMBERS OF THE ASSOCIATION SHOULD ALSO BE ABLE GAIN COMMERCIALLY AND FINANCIALLY FROM HONG KONG'S ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMMES.

ΤΟ

OUTLINING THE GOVERNMENT'S PROGRAMMES AND POLICIES FOR PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT OVER THE COMING DECADE, DR REED SAID "ENVIRONMENT" WOULD BE A MAJOR BUSINESS GROWTH AREA FOR THE YEARS TO COME IN HONG KONG.

UPWARD TREND IN NUMBER OF NEW INSOLVENCIES IN 1990

NINETEEN NINETY WAS THE FIRST YEAR SINCE 1986 WHICH SHOWED AN UPWARD TREND IN THE NUMBER OF NEW INSOLVENCIES REACHING THE OFFICIAL RECEIVER'S OFFICE, THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, MR NOEL GLEESON, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).

IT WAS ALSO THE FIRST YEAR SINCE 1985 THAT NEW COMPULSORY COMPANY LIQUIDATIONS WERE MORE THAN NEW PERSONAL BANKRUPTCIES.

/"THERE WERE

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