ENG-1992 — Page 100

INDUSTRY AND TRADE

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auction or tender. Land can be sold on special terms where industries are land and capital intensive, or use advanced technology, and where their presence is considered to be economically desirable.

Two industrial estates in Tai Po and Yuen Long have been developed and managed by the Hong Kong Industrial Estates Corporation to accommodate manufacturing processes which employ advanced technology and which cannot be carried out efficiently in ordinary multi-storey buildings. Construction of a third industrial estate at Tseung Kwan O began in August 1991. The first phase with 18 hectares of serviced sites will be available by early 1994. A total of 68 hectares of industrial land will be provided upon completion of site formation work over the rest of the area in early 1995.

Additional land and accommodation were also made available for industry during the year. The government put up for sale by auction or tender 11 pieces of industrial land with a total area of 46 942 square metres, and about 545 000 square metres of flatted factory space were completed by private developers.

Regarding manpower training for industry, technical education and industrial training is available in eight technical institutes and three industrial training centre complexes run by the Vocational Training Council. In addition, the Clothing Industry Training Authority also runs two training centres. To further strengthen manpower training, the Vocational Training Council has decided to convert the Chai Wan Technical Institute into a Technical College and build a new Technical College at Tsing Yi. Both of these are scheduled to commence operation in 1993-4. Technological training at higher levels is provided in Hong Kong's two polytechnics and three universities.

In June 1992 the New Technology Training Scheme was launched. This is providing financial assistance to employers to train, either locally or overseas, their technologists and managers in new technologies strategically important for industrial and economic develop- ment. The scheme is administered by the Vocational Training Council and assistance is provided by the Industry Department and the Hong Kong Productivity Council.

During the year the Industry Department played an active role in assisting local manufacturers to comply with environmental measures. In March 1992, the department commissioned a consultancy study on support to industry on environmental matters. The objective of the study is to assess the effects of current and planned environmental legislation on manufacturing in Hong Kong, to identify any weaknesses in the prevailing support mechanisms and to recommend a coherent support strategy. The study is scheduled to be completed by March 1993. The Department also published in March 1992 a booklet entitled 'A Guide to Pollution Control Legislation Affecting Manufacturing Industries 1992'. This will assist manufacturers by providing them with basic information on environmental legislation and where technical advice can be obtained. This booklet will be published annually.

The department was also actively involved in a number of environmental measures outlined in the 1989 White Paper on Pollution in Hong Kong. The department's role is to liaise closely with the concerned industrial organisations to ensure that they are fully aware of the government's proposals on environmental issues and to take their views into account when commenting on the implications of the proposals for Hong Kong's manufacturing industry. Issues covered during the year included the proposed controls on the handling and disposal of chemical waste under the Waste Disposal Ordinance; the proposals for the Chemical Waste Treatment Centre; the extension of MARPOL Annex III (an international