XN000022-1994-03-21 — Page 10

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MONDAY, MARCH 21, 1994

HK PULLS OVERSEAS BUSINESS

SOME

THEIR MR

HONG KONG'S EXCELLENT BANKING AND FINANCIAL SERVICES ARE OF THE FACTORS THAT INDUCE OVERSEAS COMPANIES TO SET UP REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS HERE, THE SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY, TH CHAU, SAID TODAY (MONDAY).

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF HEWLETT-PACKARD'S HONG KONG AND ASIA PACIFIC OFFICE, MR CHAU SAID HONG KONG'S OTHER ADVANTAGES INCLUDED THE

AND INFRASTRUCTURE,

SIMPLE AND OF ITS COMPREHENSIVENESS

ROBUST

ECONOMIC AND FISCAL POLICIES.

"OF COURSE, ASIA-PACIFIC REGION.

OF MANY PLACES LAY CLAIM TO BE AT THE HEART

THE

"WE JUST HAVE TO POINT TO THE MAP AND TO THE AIRLINE SCHEDULES.

"NO OTHER PLACE IS SO CONVENIENTLY LOCATED, WITH SO MANY OF THE SERVICES NEEDED BY BUSINESS, MR CHAU SAID.

MR CHAU

DEPARTMENT NOTED THAT A SURVEY BY THE INDUSTRY YEAR

NEARLY 1,500 REGIONAL OPERATIONS IDENTIFIED COMPANIES IN HONG KONG.

RUN BY

LAST OVERSEAS

THEY

INCLUDE

624

REGIONAL

HEADQUARTERS

AND 844

OFFICES. THE UNITED STATES ALONE HAS 182 SUCH OPERATIONS, MORE ANY OTHER COUNTRY.

REGIONAL THAN

MR

CHAU SAID HE WAS CONVINCED THAT THE 21ST CENTURY THE ASIA-PACIFIC CENTURY.

WOULD BE

IT

"AND ASIA-PACIFIC IS THE PLACE TO BE IN,

HE SAID.

SENIOR CITIZEN CARDS OUT IN APRIL

THE SENIOR CITIZEN CARD SCHEME HAS BEEN WARMLY RECEIVED SINCE IT KAS LAUNCHED EARLIER THIS MONTH WITH MORE THAN 50,000 APPLICATION FORMS RETURNED SO FAR.

THE FIRST BATCH OF SENIOR CITIZEN CARDS WILL BE SENT TO THE APPLICANTS STARTING APRIL

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY (MONDAY).

1.

OTHER APPLICANTS WILL RECEIVE THEIR SENIOR CITIZEN CARDS IN PHASES, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

OF PUBLIC

THE SCHEME IS AIMED TO PROVIDE A GENERALLY RECOGNISED PROOF AGE TO HELP ELDERLY PEOPLE ACCESS TO CONCESSIONARY SCHEMES OF TRANSPORT OPERATORS AND OTHER ESTABLISHMENTS.

/ALL ELDERLY

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