XN000022-1993-07-19 — Page 6

MONDAY, JULY 19, 1993

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SRC MEETS UNITED DEMOCRATS OVER ARTS POLICY

THE SECRETARY FOR RECREATION AND CULTURE, MR JAMES So, TODAY (MONDAY) SAID CONSIDERATION WAS BEING GIVEN TO THE POSSIBILITY OF SETTING UP AN ARTS COUNCIL WITH STATUTORY POWERS MODELLED ON THE PRESENT SPORTS DEVELOPMENT BOARD WITH THE SPECIFIC AIM OF PROMOTING AND DEVELOPING ARTS IN HONG KONG,

IF THE PROPOSAL WAS ACCEPTED, A PROVISIONAL BODY WOULD HAVE BE SET UP TO PREPARE FOR THE SUBSEQUENT STATUTORY COUNCIL, MR ADDED.

TO

SO

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SUCH A COUNCIL WAS ONE OF THE MOST FREQUENT SUGGESTIONS MADE BY THE ARTS COMMUNITY AND THE PUBLIC AFTER THE RELEASE OF THE ARTS POLICY REVIEW REPORT TN MARCH. THE CONSULTATION PERIOD ENDED LAST MONTH.

DEMOCRATS OF

MR SO TODAY MET REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED HONG KONG WHO ARE ALSO MEMBERS OF THE MUNICIPAL COUNCILS. THE GROUP WAS LED BY MR ALBERT CHAN WAI-YIP.

MR SO ENVISAGED THAT THE ARTS COUNCIL WOULD COMPRISE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE ARTS COMMUNITY AS WELL AS THOSE OF THE TWO MUNICIPAL COUNCILS TO ACHIEVE BETTER CO-ORDINATION AND CO-OPERATION. THE TWO COUNCILS WOULD STILL MAINTAIN THEIR AUTONOMY IN THIS RESPECT.

ON A PROPOSAL TO TRANSFER ACTIVITIES OF THE MUSIC OFFICE ΤΟ THE NON-GOVERNMENT SECTOR, MR SO SAID THESE ACTIVITIES MIGHT BE TAKEN OVER BY THE TWO MUNICIPAL COUNCILS WHO HAD EXPRESSED SOME INTEREST IN THIS.

HE NOTED THAT ANY ORGANISATION FINALLY CHOSEN TO TAKE OVER THESE ACTIVITIES WOULD NEED TO CARRY ON WITH THE PRESENT SCOPE OF ACTIVITIES AND MAINTAIN THEIR STANDARDS.

MR SO SAID HE WELCOMED THE JOINT EFFORTS BY THE TWO COUNCILS TO PROMOTE ARTS.

ORDERS-ON-HAND OF MANUFACTURERS IN MAY

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THE VOLUME OF ORDERS-ON-HAND FOR THE 200 LARGEST MANUFACTURERS SHOWED LITTLE CHANGE IN MAY OVER A YEAR EARLIER, ACCORDING TO A MONTHLY SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

THE VOLUME OF ORDERS-ON-HAND IS MEASURED IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER MONTHS THAT MANUFACTURERS WILL REQUIRE TO COMPLETE THE ORDERS OUTSTANDING AS AT THE END OF THE REFERENCE MONTH.

OF

THE

COMPARED WITH THE SAME MONTH LAST YEAR, ORDERS POSITION IN PLASTIC PRODUCTS AND THE ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES BOTH INCREASED MODERATELY BY 5%.

/ON THE