XN000022-1994-10-06 — Page 3

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1994

TRANSCRIPT OF THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN'S QUESTION-AND-ANSWER SESSION

IN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (THURSDAY)

THIS HAS OF

DR DAVID LI:

SIR, YOU HAVE STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF COMPETITIVENESS TO THE FUTURE GROWTH OF HONG KONG ECONOMY. IN CONTEXT THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE HONG KONG SERVICE INDUSTRY TO GDP SURGED FROM 60 PER CENT IN 1970 TO 72 PER CENT IN 1972. THE RESULT A RECENT SURVEY OF COALITION OF SERVICE INDUSTRIES SURVEY REACHED A CLEAR CONSENSUS ON THE NEED TO PROMOTE OUR SERVICE INDUSTRIES ABROAD. SIR, WOULD YOU INFORM THIS COUNCIL WHAT STEPS ARE BEING TAKEN FOR OUR PLAN TO PROMOTE OUR SERVICE INDUSTRY INTERNATIONALLY TO THE ADVANTAGE OF HONG KONG?

GOVERNOR:

I'M GRATEFUL TO THE HONOURABLE MEMBER FOR THAT QUESTION BECAUSE IT ENABLES ME TO ADVERTISE THAT OVER THE NEXT WEEK A NUMBER OF OUR SECRETARIES WILL BE SETTING OUT IN DETAIL THE VISION MISSION STATEMENTS OF THEIR DEPARTMENTS AND IN THAT ENTERPRISE WE WILL OF COURSE BR HEARING FROM THE SECRETARY FOR FINANCIAL SERVICES, AND OTHER SECRETARIES WHO WILL BE ADDRESSING PRECISELY THE ISSUE WHICH THE HONOURABLE MEMBER RAISED.

PERHAPS I CAN JUST SAY A FURTHER WORD ABOUT THE POLICY COMMITMENTS DOCUMENT WHICH CAME OUT YESTERDAY AND WHICH I'M SURE BY NOW ALL HONOURABLE MEMBERS WILL HAVE BEEN ABLE TO READ, ALL 184 PAGES OF IT. STARTING FROM TOMORROW WITH A PRESS CONFERENCE FROM THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, THERE WILL BE A SERIES OF PRESS CONFERENCES OVER THE NEXT 10 DAYS BY SECRETARIES. AND THEY ARE TAKING NEXT THURSDAY OFF BECAUSE IT IS A PUBLIC HOLIDAY, BUT OTHERWISE EVERY DAY ONE, TWO, OR MORE SECRETARIES WILL BE SPEAKING ABOUT OUR POLICIES FOR THE THE NEXT YEAR, AND THAT WILL INCLUDE NEXT TUESDAY THE SECRETARY FOR FINANCIAL SERVICES. THE POINT THAT THE HONOURABLE MEMBER HAS RAISED, HAS OF COURSE BEEN RAISED BY OTHERS, NOT LEAST HIS OWN FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY WHO'VE POINTED OUT THAT THE TDC HAS A SPECIFIC ROLE RELATED TO LARGELY IN THE PAST TO THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR AND THAT THAT WORK SHOULD EMBRACE THE FINANCIAL SERVICES SECTOR AND THE SERVICE SECTOR AS A WHOLE. I'M WHOLLY SUPPORTIVE OF THAT IDEA, I THINK IT MAKES A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF SENSE. WHILE MANUFACTURING REMAINS VERY IMPORTANT TO OUR ECONOMY, WHICH ACCOUNTS FOR THE ANNOUNCEMENT WE MADE YESTERDAY ABOUT LAND FOR FURTHER INDUSTRIAL BUILDING, THE SERVICE SECTOR IS MUCH MORE IMPORTANT THAN IT HAS BEEN IN THE PAST AND IT DESERVES THE GOVERNMENT'S ACTIVE SUPPORT IN SELLING THE SERVICE SECTOR TO THE REGION AND TO THE WORLD.

IN

MR ALLEN LEE: MR PRESIDENT, A QUESTION FOR THE GOVERNOR. WITH REGARD то THE GUIDELINES ON THE PART OF CO-OPERATING WITH THE PWC HE HAS ALREADY SPELT THE STAND CLEARLY. NOW ON PART OF THE GOVERNMENT, WILL THE CIVIL SERVANTS BY ALLOWED TO HAVE TALKS WITH PWC AS A COMMITTEE AND NOT AS INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS OF THE PWC ON TRANSITIONAL MATTERS? WILL THE CIVIL SERVANTS BE WORRIED THAT IF THEY TAKE A WRONG STEP THEY MAY BE REPRIMANDED BY THE GOVERNMENT?

/GOVERNOR: