XN000022-1991-11-28 — Page 9

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1991

MAJOR SHIFTS IN ECONOMIC RESTRUCTURING LIMITED

HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS RESPONDING TO THE HONG KONG'S LABOUR MARKET AS A RESULT OF ITS AND TO THE NEED TO IMPROVE THE HUMAN RESOURCES.

OPTIMAL

THE

UTILISATION OF ITS

ECONOMY HAS

"THE STRUCTURAL CHANGE IN CORRESPONDING SHIFT IN THE EMPLOYMENT PATTERN, FROM SERVICES, HE SAID.

ABOUT A BROUGHT MANUFACTURING TO

SECTOR'S SHARE OF MR CHEN POINTED OUT THAT THE MANUFACTURING

IN 1971 TO 28 PER THE EMPLOYED WORKFORCE DROPPED FROM 47 PER CENT

SHARE OF THE SECTOR'S

WORKFORCE CENT LAST YEAR WHILE THE SERVICES INCREASED FROM 41 PER CENT TO 62 PER CENT DURING THE SAME PERIOD.

HI MR

HONG KONG "APART FROM THIS MAJOR SHIFT IN EMPLOYMENT PATTERN, HAS FACED THE FURTHER PROBLEM OF LABOUR SHORTAGE IN RECENT YEARS, CHEN NOTED.

HE ADDED

THAT

EMPLOYMENT THROUGHOUT

GOVERNMENT'S POLICY OF FACILITATING GROWTH OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY.

KONG HONG THE LAST THREE

HAD

EXPERIENCED

AS A YEARS INVESTMENT AND

FULL VIRTUALLY

RESULT OF THE THE FOSTERING

SERIOUS "THIS HAS CREATED

BOTTLENECKS

IN

INDUSTRIES AND HAD ALSO HAD AN INHIBITING EFFECT ON GROWTH, MR CHEN SAID.

M

"

WE

OF SOME

OUR KEY FURTHER ECONOMIC

TO

HAVE INTRODUCED SCHEMES 'TO ALLEVIATE THESE PROBLEMS

THAT ABOUT 13,700 ALLOW THE IMPORTATION OF LABOUR," HE SAID, ADDING

KONG SINCE 1989, WHICH FOREIGN WORKERS HAD BEEN IMPORTED INTO HONG REPRESENTED ABOUT 0.48 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL WORKFORCE.

"IN

SETTING

DOWN THE

UNDERLYING PRINCIPLE IS THE

INTERESTS,

INCLUDING THEIR

OPPORTUNITIES," HE SAID.

FOR LABOUR

AN

IMPORTATION, OF LOCAL WORKERS' AS WELL AS THEIR JOB

RULES ADEQUATE PROTECTION LEVELS WAGE

"THE LONG-TERM OBJECTIVE OF THE

THE IMPROVE

CONTINUALLY

TERRITORY," HE SAID.

ECONOMIC

MR CHEN SAID THE GOVERNMENT'S

HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IS TO IN THE ENVIRONMENT

AND SOCIAL

COMMITMENT то FREE ENTERPRISE

A BASIS FOR OUR

ENTREPRENEURS

AND MARKET ECONOMY HAD PROVIDED RESPOND QUICKLY TO THE STRUCTURAL CHANGES IN OUR ECONOMY.

TO

AT EQUIPPING

"THE GOVERNMENT ADOPTS A MANPOWER STRATEGY AIMED THE WORKFORCE WITH THE SKILLS WHICH OUR COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY REQUIRE,

TO OPPORTUNITIES AND PROVIDING WORKERS WITH ADEQUATE

HE SAID. SKILLS AND DEVELOP THEIR POTENTIAL,

11

HE RECALLED THAT THROUGH THE WORK OF COUNCIL, AS WELL AS THE EFFORTS OF SPECIFIC TRAINING THE CLOTHING AND CONSTRUCTION

INDUSTRIES,

UTILISE

THEIR

THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING AUTHORITIES FOR OPPORTUNITIES HAD BEEN SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

EXPANDED FOR MANY MORE YOUNG PEOPLE TO ACQUIRE IN A WIDE RANGE AND DIFFERENT LEVELS OF JOBS.

/"IN TANDEM