VH
NOOUDS
OGD PSE
BA7~)/
Hk173/1
RE
LO AGIN
NFBOOETA
OFFICER
we und
ivor promising
walch this carefully.
NO DISTRIBUTION
s
7+2
дот
27x
HKGD TRED (2) PUSO (2) K129**
Wimpern
(x5)
HOFO 024/27
00 DOT
FM BTC HONG KONG 2709472
CCNFIDENTIAL
DESKBY 271423Z
See
TO IMMEDIATE D.O.T TELNO.CREDA 322 OF 27 OCTOBER 72.
FOR TWYMAN, OPG.
YOUR TELNO.CREDA 175 METRO CAMMELL AND THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY (MTR).
1. GARDINER'S CALL APPEARS TO HAVE FOLLOWED MY CONFIDENTIAL
TALK LAST NIGHT WITH TONY SANSOME, CHAIRMAN OF METCAM, WHO
IS CURRENTLY IN HONG KONG TO PURSUE THE MTR AND THE KCR CONTRACTS.
2. I TOLD SANSOME IN STRICT CONFIDENCE THAT I HAD LEARNED FROM AN IMPECCABLE SOURCE THAT METCAM'S BID FOR THE 150 CARS FOR STAGE 2 OF THE MTR HAD ALMOST BEEN REJECTED WHEN THE TENDERS WERE OPENED. I UNDERSTAND THAT APART FROM A JAPANESE BID WHICH MAY INDEED BE SUICIDAL, THERE ARE BIDS FROM THE CANADIANS (HAWKER SIDDELEY) AND THE AUSTRALIANS (IN ASSOCIATION WITH A GERMAN COMPANY) WHICH ARE SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER THAN METCAM'S. THE DIFFERENCE IS SO GREAT THAT METCAM'S TRACK RECORD AS CONTRACTOR FOR STAGE 1 (150 CARS) PLUS THE OPTION (70 CARS)
THOMPSON, WILL NOT HELP UNLESS THEY CAN REDUCE THEIR PRICE. CHAIRMAN OF MTR HAS TOLD ME ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THAT ECGD'S TERMS ARE AS GOOD AS ANY OTHER CREDIT AGENCIES. PROBLEM IS ESSENTIALLY COMMERCIAL.
SO THE