RESTRICTED
176112
MDHIAN 9090 y
THE END OF THE MONTH. HE HOPED TO BE ABLE TO SO ARRANGE THINGS THAT THEY WOULD BE THE LAST TO BE HEARD. SIR GORDON MANZIE SAID THAT MEANWHILE HE WOULD BE ASKING TRAFALGAR HOUSE TO LOOK VERY HARD AT THEIR LIST OF QUALIFICATIONS TO SEE WHETHER THESE CAN BE
REDUCED AND MODERATED.
(B) SECOND SMALLER BRIDGE CONTRACT
3. SIR GORDON MANZIE SAID THAT HE UNDERSTOOD THE ALL-JAPANESE GROUP HAD DEFINATELY DECIDED NOT TO BID FOR THE SMALLER BRIDGE. (THIS IS NOT SURPRISING SINCE WE KNOW THAT SEVERAL OF THE OTHER GROUPS WILL INCLUDE JAPANESE COMPANIES IN TIER TEAMS FOR THIS BID). HE SAID HE THOUGHT THE AJC TEAM WOULD BID BUT THAT HAD NOT
YET BEEN FINALLY DECIDED.
(C) AIRPORT PLATFORM
4. THE BALFOUR BEATTY TEAM ARE IN HONG KONG THIS WEEK, TOGETHER WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE REST OF THEIR GROUP. THE TEAM CONSISTS OF HOPKTIEF (GERMANY) LEIGHTON (LOCAL BUT WITH AUSTRALIAN AND GERMAN PARENTAGE), FRANKI KIER (POSITION CONFUSED AS A RESULT OF THE RECENT TAKE OVER OF BEEZER ASIA BY A GERMAN GROUP AND OF BEEZER UK BY HANSON, BUT WITH SOME BRITISH INTEREST), DILLINGHAM (USA) AND OBAYASHI (JAPAN) AND ON THE DREDGING SIDE HYUNDAI (KOREA), BLANKVOORT (HOLLAND) AND DRAGOMAAR (ITALY). REPRESENTATIVES FROM ALL THESE COMPANIES ARE HERE
PUTTING TOGETHER THE TERMS OF THEIR AGREEMENT. BIDS CLOSE ON 21 FEBRUARY. SIR ROBERT DAVIDSON, BALFOUR BEATTY'S NEW CHAIRMAN, AND OTHER DIRECTORS, ARE LIKELY TO BE HERE IN THE WEEK BEGINNING 16 FEBRUARY IN PURSUIT OF THE BID.
(D) HYUNDAI
5. HYUNDAI'S POSITION IS OF INTEREST. ALMOST EVERYONE HERE
PREDICTED THAT THEY WOULD HAVE THE LOWEST BID ON THE BRIDGE AND
THIS NOW SEEMS TO BE THE CASE. MANY CRITICS HERE DOUBT THEIR
ABILITY TO DO THE JOB SATISFACTORILY, BUT SINCE THEY HAVE BEEN PRE-QUALIFIED IT WILL NOT BE EASY FOR THE HONG KONG ADMINISTRATION TO RULE THEM OUT ON THESE GROUNDS. FEW COMMENTATORS SEEM TO THINK HOWEVER THAT THEY WILL GET THE
CONTRACT AND MOST BELIEVE THAT IT IS THEREFORE LIKELY TO GO BETWEEN THE BRITISH AND THE FRENCH LED GROUPS. YET FOR THE
CONTRACT TO GO TO THE SECOND OR THIRD BIDDER IS LIKELY TO REQUIRE SOME UNFAVOURABLE VERDICTS ON HYUNDAI'S COMPETENCE. MEANWHILE IN
OTHER AREAS OF THE PROJECT BRITISH COMPANIES ARE ALLIED WITH HYUNDAI. THEY ARE A MAJOR PARTNER IN A GROUP WITH AMEC OF THE UK, BIDDING FOR THE FIRST STAGE OF THE NORTH LANTAU EXPRESSWAY. THEY
2
PAGE
RESTRICTED