XN000022-1991-08-08 — Page 13

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 1991

"ALTHOUGH

ΜΑΚΙΝΟ UP THE

VAST

OF MAJORITY

HONG

KONG B

FEWER THAN 50 PERSONS

PER (48.5

CENT OF TOTAL

MANUFACTURING ESTABLISHMENTS, FACTORIES WITH

PERSONS IN TOTAL

ONLY EMPLOYED 354,087

MANUFACTURING EMPLOYMENT) IN 1990.

2,587 LARGER

"IN CONTRAST, 51.5 PER CENT OF HONG KONG'S TOTAL MANUFACTURING

PERSONS, 376,130

IS CONCENtrated IN EMPLOYMENT, OR ESTABLISHMENTS (5.3 PER CENT), MR WONG SAID.

H

ADVANTAGE IN THIS

MAKE-UP AS LINKED WITH THE EFFICIENT NETWORK OF SUBCONTRACTING

HE SAID THERE WAS AN INHERENT MANY SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED OPERATIONS WERE CLOSELY BIGGER FACTORIES PROCESSING ARRANGEMENTS.

THROUGH

AN

EXTERNAL DEMANDS.

THIS PROVIDES HONG

FLEXIBILITY

WHICH

KONG'S MANUFACTURING SECTOR WITH ENABLES IT TO RESPOND

то SWIFTLY

CHANGES

A

IN

THE 1980S SAW THE

EMERGENCE

OF

MATERIALS

AND

ASSEMBLY

INTO

"THE

THE

THE REPORT ALSO NOTED THAT LINKAGE INDUSTRIES IN HONG KONG, WHICH CONVERT IMPORTED RAW INTO SEMI-MANUFACTURES, COMPONENTS,

PARTS, SUB-ASSEMBLIES FOR FITHER MACHINES FOR SALE TO OTHER FINISHED PRODUCTS OR FOR USE IN THE PRODUCTION PROCESS.

MANUFACTURERS

THE GROWTH OF

LINKAGE INDUSTRIES HAS ASSISTED TRANSFORMATION OF HONG KONG'S MANUFACTURING SECTOR FROM THE SIMPLE ASSEMBLY OF IMPORTED PARTS AND COMPONENTS.

"THIS GROWTH IS CONNECTED THE 1980s,' MR WONG SAID.

++

WITH

MANUFACTURING-WIDE TRENDS IN

"FIRSTLY, THE SHIFT OF HONG KONG'S LABOUR INTENSIVE ASSEMBLY ESPECIALLY OPERATIONS INTO OTHER AREAS IN THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN REGION,

HAS INTO SOUTH CHINA,

ENABLED HONG KONG TO

A DRVELOP INTO

VARIETY OF MANUFACTURING SUPPORT BASE FOR THE REGION, NOT ONLY FOR A FINANCIAL AND OTHER SERVICES, BUT ALSO

PARTS, FOR MATERIALS, BE SUPPLIED COMPONENTS AND PRODUCTION TOOLING THAT CANNOT

IN THOSE

AREAS.

"SECONDLY, A COMBINATION OF

FACTORS INCLUDING RISING

PROFIT AUTOMATED

LABOUR

COSTS, SHORTER PRODUCT LIFE-CYCLES, AND THE NEED TO DIVERSIFY INTO HIGHER VALUE-ADDED PRODUCTS TO MAINTAIN HIGHLIGHTED THE ATTRACTIVENESS OF MORE MANUFACTURING METHODS IN THE LOCAL MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES," MR

MARGINS HAS AND FLEXIBLE WONG

ADDED.

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