XN000022-1994-06-22 — Page 6

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 1994

THE DEPARTMENT BUYS GOODS AND SERVICES FOR GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND CERTAIN SUBVENTED ORGANISATIONS TO SUPPORT THEIR OPERATIONS. THESE INCLUDE SPECIALIST STORES AND COMMON-USER ITEMS.

MR

VALUE FOR PATTEN WAS IMPRESSED THAT GSD HAD ACHIEVED GOOD MONEY BY CAREFUL PRODUCT SOURCING AND EVALUATION, FAIR AND OPEN TENDERING PROCEDURES AND SKILFUL NEGOTIATION.

HE ALSO NOTED THAT GSD WAS CURRENTLY BUYING EQUIPMENT FOR THE AIRPORT AT CHEK LAP KOK WITH A TOTAL ESTIMATED VALUE OF HK$1,493

NEW MILLION...

THE GOVERNOR TOURED THE PROCUREMENT AND GENERAL DIVISIONS, AND INSPECTED A NUMBER OF GOVERNMENT STORES, INCLUDING THE WATERPIPES, THE PAINT AND THE PAPER STORES.

MR WAN

PATTEN LEARNED THAT A NEW CENTRALISED GOVERNMENT STORE AT WATERFRONT WOULD BE BUILT BY 1996 TO REPLACE THE TWO MAIN WAREHOUSES IN OIL STREET AND CHEUNG SHA WAN.

CHAI

HE CONCLUDED HIS VISIT BY MEETING SOME OF THE DEPARTMENTAL STAFF AT A TEA RECEPTION.

EUROPE AND EAST ASIA COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER

* * *

THE CHIEF SECRETARY, MRS ANSON CHAN, STRONGLY EUROPE AND EAST ASIA COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER.

BELIEVES THAT

"THERE

WITH

THE

THEIR

IS ROOM FOR GROWTH IN BOTH THE EMERGING ECONOMIES, AND ABUNDANCE OF LABOUR AND RAW-MATERIAL RESOURCES,

WITH INDUSTRIALISED ECONOMIES,

THEIR EXPERTISE AND TECHNOLOGICAL

11 MRS CHAN SAID. KNOWHOW, IN THE DYNAMIC GLOBAL ECONOMY OF THE 1990S,

ADDRESSING A LUNCHEON HOSTED BY THE FRENCH BUSINESS ASSOCIATION EUROPE AND EAST ASIA MUST TODAY (WEDNESDAY), THE CHIEF SECRETARY SAID NOT THROTTLE THIS PARTNERSHIP BY RESTRICTING IMPORTS FROM ASIAN ECONOMIES, IN THE MISTAKEN BELIEF THAT SUCH ARTIFICIAL WILL ENSURE THE SURVIVAL OF THE THREATENED INDUSTRIES.

THE EAST BARRIERS

"HISTORY IS FULL OF EXAMPLES WHICH SHOW THAT PROTECTIONISM ONLY RATHER THAN MAKES DOMESTIC INDUSTRIES COMPLACENT, WHICH WILL WEAKEN STRENGTHEN THEM IN THE LONG-TERM.

MORE AMPLY

"PROTECTIONISM ALSO HURTS THE CONSUMERS, WHO HAVE TO PAY HIGHER PRICES FOR THE GOODS OR SERVICES THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE AVAILABLE; AND DISTORT THE MECHANISM OF THE ECONOMY FOR RESOURCES EFFICIENTLY, SHE SAID.

"

DISTRIBUTING

IN MRS CHAN NOTED THAT THERE HAD BEEN CONCERNS IN SOME SECTORS

EAST ASIA PRESENTED AN THE DEVELOPED WORLD THAT DYNAMIC GROWTH IN

INDUSTRIALISED OMINOUS THREAT TO THE LONG-TERM ECONOMIC WELL-BEING OF NATIONS.

/SHE CITED