AT a ceremony held last night in the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Governor Chris Patten presented his Annual Award for Industry and praised the winners for their ''outstanding achievements and efforts on behalf of Hong Kong''.
The reception and prize-giving ceremony was attended by 750 guests, representing the whole spectrum of manufacturing and industrial enterprises in the territory. It was the culmination of a co-ordinated effort by many people involved in organising the event and those who participated in the adjudicating process in all six award categories which cover key sectors of the economy.
The Governor's Award for Industry, introduced in 1989, is a scheme designed to recognise and encourage excellence in various aspects of industrial performance. The award has been consolidated and developed from a number of previous plans that highlighted success in various spheres of industry and manufacturing.
They include the Governor's Award for Hong Kong Design, organised annually since 1969 by the Federation of Hong Kong Industries, and the New Product Award, held each year since 1970 by The Chinese Manufacturers' Association (CMA) of Hong Kong. In 1988, the then Governor, Sir David (now Lord) Wilson, in his address to the opening session of the 1988-89 Legislative Council, revealed his plan to establish the Governor's Award for Industry.
The scheme has since evolved into a much wider awards system, having been broadened and rationalised in scope, both to avoid overlap and to recognise other equally important aspects of industrial performance. The Governor's Award, now in its fifth year, presently covers the following categories: Consumer Product Design; Machinery and Equipment Design; Productivity; Quality; Environmental Performance; and Export Marketing.
Different organisations are responsible for the competitions held in each award segment. In 1989, the award plan began with only two product-based sections, Consumer Product Design and Machinery & Equipment Design. The Federation of Hong Kong Industries is responsible for the first category, which recognises the importance of design in consumer products. Good design in machinery and equipment for use in manufacturing is recognised by the award scheme organised by the CMA.
Two years ago, the Productivity and Quality award categories, organised by the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) and the Industry Department respectively, were added. Both are company-based sectors of the scheme which recognise the endeavours of localfirms in achieving improved productivity and better quality in their manufacturing processes. Bosses in Hongkong, it seems, are generally aware of their own shortcomings when under pressure. While they may have little time to devote to routine matters, it is their able, omnipresent secretary that carries the day.