TNAG-1607-FCO40-22122-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1987 — Page 35

into

Hong Hong Kong,

and

for

investment or

from

overseas

transfer

overall improvement of Hong Kong's image

of technology.

an important centre

Thirdly, I would

would urge Government to establish as soon as possible an advisory committee on science and technology for

the

of generally making recommendations to purpose

Government

from time to time on its policy towards science and technology,

and if Government does not yet have a policy, then to make recommendations on what such a policy should be.

example,

the

In the field of manpower training for Ministry of Science and Technology in South Korea was

was able to get its government to set a target expenditure of 0.6% of GNP in 1981 rising to 2.0% in 1986.

Taiwan's expenditure in this kind of industrial support is reported to be a target of 1.2% of GNP in 1985 increasing to 2.0% in 1989, based on Taiwan's Science and Technology Development Programme approved in 1982.

In regard to Hong Kong, public expenditure in 1986-87

on industrial manpower training and on industrial support services amounts to $1,298 million or about 0.45% of estimated

1986 GDP. It is no wonder therefore that

is Hong Kong lagging behind South Korea and Taiwan in labour productivity in the electrical/electronic field of export industries.

now

I put it to Government that one of the important tasks of an advisory committee science and technology should be to

advise

on

outline development

technology, especially in

in programmes

science

and

manpower

education system as

whole, a

training and

and also the

within

the

likely

financial

commitments of such programmes.