XN000022-1991-05-30 — Page 2

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GOVERNOR VISITS TRADE DEPT

THURSDAY, MAY 30, 1991

THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, THIS (THURSDAY) AFTERNOON VISITED THE TRADE DEPARTMENT AT ITS NEW HEADQUARTERS IN MONG KOK.

HE WAS ACCOMPANIED BY THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY, MR JOSEPH W.P. WONG, AND THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF TRADE (DESIGNATE), MR DONALD TSANG.

SIR DAVID WAS BRIEFED ON THE DEPARTMENT'S ORGANISATION AND ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING A NUMBER OF MAJOR ISSUES WHICH WILL BE KEEPING THE DEPARTMENT BUSY IN THE MONTHS AHEAD.

THESE ISSUES INCLUDE IN PARTICULAR, HONG KONG'S PARTICIPATION IN THE URUGUAY ROUND OF MULTILATERAL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS, EXTENSION OF THE MULTIFIBRE ARRANGEMENT (MFA), AND CONSIDERATION IN THE UNITED STATES OF CONTINURD MOST FAVOURED NATION (MFN) STATUS FOR CHINA.

SIR DAVID VISITED THE DEPARTMENT'S LICENSING AND CONTROL OFFICES WHICH ISSUED OVER FIVE MILLION IMPORT AND EXPORT LICENCES AND CERTIFICATES OF ORIGIN LAST FINANCIAL YEAR.

HE WAS TOLD THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAS INVESTED OVER $29 MILLION IN COMPUTERISING ITS OPERATIONS AND IS INVOLVED IN PLANS FOR AN ELECTRONIC DATA INTERCHANGE (EDI) FOR TRADE DOCUMENTS.

THE GOVERNOR ALSO MET A CROSS-SECTION OF OFFICERS WORKING IN THE DEPARTMENT.

**

"TRADE IS VITAL TO HONG KONG'S PROSPERITY,' SIR DAVID SAID.

"IT IS ENCOURAGING TO SEE THE TRADE DEPARTMENT SO ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT HONG KONG'S ROLE AS AN IMPORTANT TRADING ENTITY.

"ALSO TO KNOW ABOUT THE WAYS IN WHICH THEY ARE DETERMINED ΤΟ MAINTAIN A CONTROL SYSTEM WHICH IS RESPECTED BY OUR BUSINESSMEN HERE AND BY TRADING PARTNERS ABROAD.

CHALLENGES FACING ASIAN NIE'S

*

FACE

THE ASIAN NEWLY INDUSTRIALISED ECONOMIES (NIE'S) HAVE TO KEEN COMPETITION FROM OTHER FAST-GROWING ECONOMIES IN THE ASIA PACIFIC

SUCH AS THAILAND REGION, (DESIGNATE), MR HAMISH MACLEOD, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).

DELIVERING

AND

MALAYSIA,

THE

FINANCIAL

SECRETARY

ON

ASIAN

A

NEWLY SPEECH AT A SYMPOSIUM KEYNOTE INDUSTRIALISED ECONOMIES, MR MACLEOD SAID THESE ECONOMIES WERE ENDOWED WITH A RELATIVELY ABUNDANT SUPPLY OF NATURAL RESOURCES.

/"THUS THE