XN000022-1991-10-04 — Page 7

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4. 1991

TODAY

INDUSTRIALISTS MUST WORK UP FOR EDGES

WHOSE

THE ACTING DIRECTOR-GENERAL of INDUSTRY, MR WILFRED WOND

(FRIDAY) PRAISED

MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES THE

BUT PRODUCTIVITY HAS MADE HONG KONG THE WORLD'S 11TH LARGEST EXPORTER

CHALLENGES SQUARELY CAUTIONED INDUSTRIALISTS THAT THEY MUST FACE NEW IF THEY ARE TO MAINTAIN THEIR COMPETITIVE EDGE.

MR WONG CALLED TO INTRODUCk

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF AUTOTECH ASIA '91 +

MORE CONSCIOUS OF THE NEED ON INDUSTRIALISTS TO BE AUTOMATION IN THEIR MANUFACTURING PROCESSES.

90 PER CENT OF HONG KONG' INDUSTRIAL MR WONG NOTED THAT

EXPORTS IN PRODUCTION WAS EVENTUALLY EXPORTED AND THAT ITS DOMESTIC

41.4 PER CENT 1990 HAD AMOUNTED TO US$29 BILLION, WHICH REPRESENTED OF THE TERRITORY'S GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT (GPD) AT CURRENT PRICES.

HONG KONG'S DOMESTIC EXPORTS HAD GROWN BY 74 PER CENT IN BETWEEN 1985 AND 1990.

VALUE

"DESPITE THE REMARKABLE

AND GROWTH

OUR DEVELOPMENT OF TO CHANGES WHICH WILL MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY, WE OUGHT TO BE ALIVE LIKELY AFFECT ITS COMPETITIVENESS IN THE LONGER TERM.

THE "WE ALREADY SEE LOW-COST ECONOMIES IN THEIR PRODUCTION CAPABILITIES.

REGION GEARING UP

DEMANDING BETTER AND FASTER RESPONSE

ARE "AT THE SAME TIME, OUR OVERSEAS MARKETS QUALITY AND DESIGN, GREATER VARIETY OF PRODUCTS TIME.

WONG

IN RESPONSE TO THESE REQUIREMENTS, MR

WERE PULLING UP COMPETITORS

THEIR

то SOCKS TECHNOLOGICAL COMPETENCE, AND HENCE MARKET SHARE.

SAID OUR IMPROVE THEIR

ARE FACING GROWING COMPETITION "AT HOME, MANUFACTURERS LIMITED MANPOWER RESOURCES FROM OTHER SECTORS OF THE ECONOMY.

FOR

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"THESE ARE ALL FORMIDABLE CHALLENGES WHICH INDUSTRIALISTS MUST FÁCE SQUARELY IF THEY WISH TO CONTINUE TO PROSPER HE SAID.

IN MANUFACTURING,

HAD MADE WITHIN HONG KONG ITSELF, HE SAID RISING LABOUR COSTS

INCREASE IT ESSENTIAL FOR MANUFACTURERS TO

THE VALUE-ADDED CONTENT REASONABLE PROFIT MARGIN OF THEIR OF THEIR PRODUCTS TO MAINTAIN A INVESTMENT.

"THIS UNDERSCORES THE NEED FOR MORE AUTOMATED MANUFACTURING WHICH ADOPTED METHODS, MR WONG SAID, WHEN ADDRESSING THE CONFERENCE THE THEME OF "COMPETITIVE MANUFACTURING THROUGH AUTOMATION",

ΤΟ

THESE

IT HE ALSO SAID WHILE

WAS TRUE THAT SOME OF HONG KONd's MANUFACTURERS HAD

BY RESPONDED

CHALLENGES LABOUR-INTENSIVE MANUFACTURING PROCESSES OUTSIDE HONG KONG, WITHIN HONG KONG WOULD BE TOWARDS CAPITAL-INTENSIVE, HIGHLY FACTORIES PRODUCING HIGH QUALITY AND HIGH VALUE-ADDED PRODUCTS.

SHIFTING THE TREND AUTOMATED

/AUTOMATION WAS