XN000022-1996-12-30 — Page 4

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Employees Retraining Scheme consultation period extended

The Government announced today (Monday) that the consultation period for the review on the Employees Retraining Scheme would be extended by one month to February 3, 1997.

"The extension is in response to the requests made by the Employees Retraining Board and the Legislative Council Panel on Manpower," an Education and Manpower Branch spokesman said.

"Interested parties should send their views to Education and Manpower Branch before the new deadline," he added.

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HK/US customs joint visits to factories next month

The Government today (Monday) announced that Hong Kong and United States (US) Customs officers will jointly visit selected textiles factories in Hong Kong next month (January).

"The visit programme will last 30 days, starting from January 6. Two teams of two US Customs officers will join Hong Kong Customs officers and visit factories producing any of the 12 categories of textiles products for the US market. Such joint visits will only be conducted with the consent of the factories," a government spokesman said.

Of the 12 categories, eight are the same as those covered by the Hong Kong/US Customs joint factory visits in September. They are dresses (categories 336 and 636), skirts (categories 342, 442 and 642), nightwear (category 351) and underwear (categories 352 and 652).

The remaining four categories, which the US has put on its "watch-list" since September, are cotton gloves (category 331), cotton knit shirts (category 338/339), women's and girls' cotton pants (category 348) and cotton dressing gowns (category 350).

"Factories which submit production notifications (PNs) in any of the categories concerned may be selected for the joint factory visits," the spokesman said.