ENG-1967 — Page 80

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INDUSTRY AND TRADE

industrial co-operation. The variety of goods produced in Hong Kong is now considerable. In general, while heavy industry such as shipbuilding and steel rolling continues to be important, Hong Kong is best known for the competitive price and range of its light industrial products and their rapidly improving quality.

INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTIVITY

The problem of improving industrial productivity in Hong Kong is one of concern to the government and to private enterprise. During the year, a statutory Productivity Council and a Productivity Centre were established. Legislation to provide for the Council was introduced in December 1966, and it was brought into being in January 1967, replacing a provisional council which had been working since 1965. The council comprises a chairman and 20 members, all appointed by the Governor, of whom 10 represent management, labour, academic and professional interests. The other 10 represent government departments closely associated with productivity matters.

A management consultant was appointed early in the year to head the new Productivity Centre. Internal training courses were conducted to prepare the centre's own staff to implement an in- tegrated programme. Preparations were also underway to recruit international experts to assist the centre in training consultants who would offer services to industry.

A pilot-training centre was opened in September. It includes a reference library and lecture rooms fitted with the latest audio- visual equipment. One of the more important events at the centre was an export marketing training course, implemented at the request of the Asian Productivity Organization, with participants from APO member countries.

Hong Kong is one of the 12 member countries of the Asian Productivity Organization. The Colony was represented at the seventh Workshop Meeting of directors of national productivity centres, held in Tokyo in January, and at the eighth Governing Body Meeting in Seoul in April. As in previous years, a considerable number of Hong Kong nominees participated during the year in study missions, seminars, symposia and training courses in Asian