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The newly-established Competition Commission is now engaging the business community to give suggestions on their Guidelines. The Competition Ordinance will be implemented in phases, and the Association will facilitate the communication between the trade and the Commission.

Wi th al l the major consul tat ions underway, i t is crucial for the community to have a rational discussion in order to work towards a better and more competitive Hong Kong. This will allow us to further strengthen our status as an international shopping paradise and a financial and business hub.

Regarding the development of manpower, the Association launched the Earn & Learn Pilot Scheme for the Retail Industry in partnership with the Vocational Training Council (VTC) in early July. It is a funded programme under the Financial Secretary's allocation of $130 million to the retail industry in his 2014-15 Budget.

The programme received an overwhelming response from our members, with close to 1,000 job placements committed by some 49 retail brands across a wide range of retail sectors. We look forward to a pool of bright new talent to thrive in the retail industry through this Scheme. At the same time, the Association is working hand-in-hand with the Government on a three-year campaign to raise the retail industry 's image. A series of initiatives will be progressively rolled out to promote a positive image of the industr y to the public so as to rectify the unfavourable perception of the trade, which not only hinders our efforts to recruit a quality labour force but also restrains job seekers in making a rational career choice.

The retail Qualifications Framework (QF) is progressing well with the VTC appointed as the assessing agency of the Recognition of Previous Learning (RPL) in April. The RPL is a key mechanism under QF which helps recognise practitioners' prior learning and working experience. I t wi l l be a great leap forward in s t rengthening the indus t r y ' s professional ism with the launch of RPL in November 2014. The Association will actively participate in the Preparation Committee's work and give practical advice on the direction and formulation of the RPL assessment.

Last but not the least, the Association will hold an election for the new term of office (2014-2016) for the Executive Committee at the next Annual General Meeting, which will be held on 9 October, 2014 at the JW Marriott Hotel. We are honored to have Mr. Wong Kam-sing, the Secretary for the Environment, as our guest speaker at the AGM luncheon.

The Association will have a very busy schedule in the second half of 2014. I earnestly look forward to the support from members and fellow retailers for the Association's many initiatives and activities that will take place in the coming months.

協會衷心寄望本港市民就各項重要諮詢進行理 性討論，以建立更美好、更有競爭優勢的香 港，鞏固我們作為購物天堂、國際金融及商業 中心的美譽。

在推動人才發展方面，我們於七月初與職業 訓練局合辦「零售業『職』學創前路先導計 劃」，計劃由財政司司長於2014至2015年度財 政預算案中為零售業額外撥款1.3億港元資助。

現時，各會員公司均大力支持今次先導計劃， 約有49個不同類型的零售品牌提供近1,000個 職位。協會希望此計劃能讓優秀的人才於零售 業一展抱負。

此外，協會亦與政府攜手展開為期三年的宣傳 計劃，以改善零售業的形象。我們希望透過一 系列活動，消除市民一直以來對零售行業的負 面觀感，塑造更正面的形象。社會對業界的誤 解不但令零售商難以吸納人才，亦令求職者未 能作出理性的職業選擇。

隨著職業訓練局於四月獲委任為過往資歷認可 評核機構 ，推動零售業資歷架構的工作進展理 想。過往資歷認可是資歷架構下的主要機制， 就零售從業員以往的學歷及工作經驗進行認 可。於2014年11月，零售業正式推行過往資歷 認可後，將有助提升業界的專業水平。協會會 繼續積極參與籌委會的工作，並就過往資歷認 可評核的方針及設計提供意見。

最後，協會將於2014年10月9日假香港萬豪酒 店舉行周年大會暨午餐交流研討會。屆時，協 會將選出新一屆執委會(2014至2016年)，我們 亦有幸請來環境局局長黃錦星先生擔任午餐會 的講者嘉賓。

協會於下半年將會非常忙碌，我們會陸續推出 多項新猷，希望各位會員及零售商能繼續踴躍 支持。