XN000022-1992-07-10 — Page 12

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FRIDAY, JULY 10, 1992

INDUSTRIAL POLICIES HELP CREATE

POSITIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR MANUFACTURING IN HK

*

THE GOVERNMENT'S INDUSTRIAL POLICIES, WHICH CAN BE SUMMED UP IN THE PHRASE "MINIMUM INTERVENTION PLUS MAXIMUM SUPPORT", HAVE CREATED A POSITIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR MANUFACTURING IN HONG KONG, THE SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY, MR T.H. CHAU, SAID THIS (FRIDAY) EVENING.

THE

FOR

SPEAKING AT AN ANNUAL DINNER OF THE HONG KONG ASSOCIATION ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, MR CHAU SAID WITHIN THIS FRAMEWORK, INDUSTRIALISTS WERE FREE то MAKE THEIR OWN BUSINESS DECISION, AND TO REAP THE BENEFITS OF THEIR SUCCESS.

"GOVERNMENT'S ROLE IS TO PROVIDE THE INFRASTRUCTURE, FACILITIES AND SERVICES TO UNDERPIN INDUSTRY'S EFFORT TO UPGRADE,' HE SAID.

++

MR CHAU SAID ADVANCEMENT IN TECHNOLOGY SHOULD BE SEEN AS A MEANS OF PROMOTING HONG KONG'S PROSPERITY.

"THAT WAS THE VIEW REACHED BY THE COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, HAVING STUDIED THE WAY OUR NEIGHBOURING ECONOMIES APPROACH TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT, AND IT IS ONE WHICH THE GOVERNMENT SHARES, HE SAID.

HE BELIEVED ALSO THAT EFFORTS TO PROMOTE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT SHOULD BE FOCUSED.

"GIVEN HONG KONG'S LIMITED RESOURCES, WE CANNOT HEAD OFF IN ALL DIRECTIONS AT ONCE. WE NEED TO HOME IN ON TECHNOLOGY AREAS WHICH HOLD THE KEY TO IMPROVING THE COMPETITIVENESS OF OUR EXISTING INDUSTRIES OR TO DEVELOPMENT IN NEW, HIGH-VALUE ADDED AREAS WHICH ARE WELL SUITED TO HONG KONG'S STRENGTHS.

HE

"AND IN A REALISTIC INDUSTRIAL SUPPORT PROGRAMME, THE WATCHWORD SHOULD BE "APPROPRIATE" RATHER THAN "LEADING-EDGE" TECHNOLOGIES, SAID.

"I WOULD ADD THAT A GREAT DEAL OF WORK HAS BEEN DONE IN RECENT то IDENTIFY THE TECHNOLOGICAL DETERMINANTS OF GROWTH AND COMPETITIVENESS FOR HONG KONG'S INDUSTRIES, MR CHAU SAID.

YEARS

H

TECHNOECONOMIC

"THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT'S REGULAR PROGRAMME OF STUDIES IS ONE EXAMPLE. "ROADMAPS" STUDY IS ANOTHER.

THE TERTIARY EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS'

"So THERE IS ALREADY A RICH SUPPLY OF MATERIAL ON WHICH THE INDUSTRY AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL CAN DRAW, MR CHAU SAID.

"

ASSUMING SUPPORT FOR TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF SUPPORT FOR INDUSTRY OVERALL, THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN INVESTING HEAVILY IN WHAT SOME CALL THE "TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE", MR CHAU SAID.

/HE SAID