1990-11-21 22:53 G.1.5
P.903/04
SIR,
THE
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AS
AD
GIVEN THE IMPORTANCE OF PADS PROJECTS TO OUR FUTURE, GOVERNMENT FULLY APPRECIATES THE WISH AND THE NEED FOR THE PUBLIC GENERAL, AND THIS COUNCIL IN PARTICULAR, TO BE KEPT INFORMED. MEMBERS ARE AWARE, WE ARE ALREADY IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH THE LEGCO HOC GROUD FORMED UNDER MR STEPH CHEONG'S CONVENORSHIP, WE WILL CONTINUE TO BRIEF THE AD HOC GROUP ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROJECTS, WE HAVE ALREADY DEEN DOING. ONLY LAST MONTH, ALL THE SENIOR OFFICIALS INVOLVED GAVE THE GROUP AN EXTENSIVE BRIEFING. MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL WILL NO DOUBT, IN FUTURE, CLOSELY SCRUTINISE THE FUNDING or THE PROJECTS AS SUBMISSIONS ARE MADE TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE FOR APPROVAL. .
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SIR, AS INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS PROCEED, DISTRICT BOARDS DIRECTLY AFFECTED WILL OF COURSE BE CONSULTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THS LONG- STANDING PRACTICE FOR CONSULTATION WITH REGARD ΤΟ PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS. THIS FRIDAY, A BRIEFING SESSION FOR THE MUNICIPAL COUNCILS, DISTRICT BOARDS AND THE HEUNG YEE KUK WILL TAKE PLACE. AS THE PROJECTS TAKE SHAPE WE WILL MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO FULLY, REGULARLY, AND COMPREHENSIBLY EXPLAIN WHAT IS HAPPENING, AND JUST AS IMPORTANT, WHY
IT IS HAPPENING.
SIR. ONE OF HONG KONG'S GREAT ATTRACTIONS IS THAT IT 19 POSSIBLE TO GET THINGS DONE HERE. PLANS, ONCE THEY ARE AGREED, ARE IMPLEMENTED QUICKLY. AS SIR DAVID FORD INDICATED IN HIS SPEECH IN THE DEBATE ON THE OPENING ADDRESS ONLY THREE WEEKS AGO, AND AS MR STEPHEN CHEUNG HAS TODAY EXPLAINED, TO HOLD EXHAUSTIVE PUBLIC INQUIRIES, WHICH THE ROUTE FOLLOWED IN SOME PLACES, IS NOT ALWAYS THE SWIFTEST WAY OF ACHIEVING RESULTS. IT HAS A COST THE COST IS DELAY AFTER DELAY. THAT IS NOT HONG KONG'S WAY OF DOING THINGS. THE HONG KONG STYLE IS TO TAKE A VISION OF THE FUTURE, TO DECIDE, BOLDLY, WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO ACHIEVE THAT VISION, AND THEN TO GET ON WITH IT.
MEMBERS WILL RECOLLECT THAT IN MY SPEECH I STRESSED TO THIS COUNCTI. ON 31 OCTOBER, THE FACT THAT THE GOVERNMENT FULLY RECOGNISES THE IMPORTANCE OF PRUDENT MANAGEMENT OF PUBLIC FINANCES, INCLUDING THE FINANCING OF PADS. WORK IS IN HAND TO ENSURE THAT CAREFUL PROGRAMMING AND PACKAGING OF WORKS CONTRACTS LEADS TO THE MOST COST-EFFECTIVE APPROACH IN IMPLEMENTING THE PROJECTS. A CENTRAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT TEAM COMPRISING GOVERNMENT STAFF AND CONSULTANTS HAS ALREADY BEEN UP TO ENSURE THE BEST POSSIBLE USE OF RESOURCES THROUGH MODERN MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES.
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SIR, IN THE COURSE OF ONE OF THE SPEECHES A SPEECH MADE BY MR DANIEL LAM THERE WAS REFERENCE TO THE EXCHANGE FUND. THE EXCHANGE FUND IS OF SUCH IMPORTANCE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON WHAT WAS SAID, VERY BRIEFLY. THE EXCHANGE FUND, OF COURSE, WILL NOT BE USED FOR FINANCING THIS PROJECT, THE PADS PROJECT, OR ANY PART OF IT. EXCHANGE FUND IS THERE FOR A SPECIFIC STATUTORY PURPOSE - TO BACK "CURRENCY. SIR, I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT, IN THE CONTEXT OF THIS WHOLE DEBATE, BECAUSE THE EXCHANGE FUND IS STRONG, IT IS PROPERLY AND VERY PRUDENTLY MANAGED, AND WHATEVER HAPPENS WITH THIS PROJECT AS IT UNFOLDS, OUR CURRENCY WILL BE VERY STRONGLY AND FIRMLY BACKED, AND IT IS A POINT I WOULD LIKE MEMBERS TO KNOW.
THE