Hong Kong needs to fulfil various criteria to be a successful logistics hub, according to the Director of Government Supplies Nigel Shipman. He said one of the needs that was being met was providing qualified professionals to meet the demands of the industry. This was accomplished through the Hong Kong Logistics Association, headed by Raymond Leung, which organised part-time logistics courses with the Hong Kong Productivity Council, he said. Last week, 39 out of 45 people who took the 1998-1999 courses graduated, a pass rate of 87 per cent. Mr Shipman, who is also patron of the logistics association, said his department required applicants for an assistant supplies officer to hold a logistics qualification before they could get the job. That reflected the responsibility of a position that provided Government departments with supplies. Logistics is defined as a management science that embraces the efficient movement and storage of goods, and provision of services. Its scope extends from manufacturing through to final delivery, including related aspects of information technology and other control systems, also known as supply-chain management.