18
Last year, our port handled 87 per cent of our
external trade
100 million tons of cargo,
including eight million containers.
If CT9 is delayed by even two years, the
economic
loss to Hong Kong will be $20 billion
in the decade after 1997.
@
28.
delay will
growth of
So the development of CT9 is urgent. The present
hamper our ability to service the export-led
Southern China as fully as we would wish to and
as China would vish us to do. It will also
presumably
lead
the
to longer traffic queues at our existing port
facilities, aggravating congestion throughout the rest of
transport network and directly reducing the quality of
life for the public at large. Once again, let me reassure
this Council that we will do our level best to move the
development of our new container terminals forward.
29.
great
Let ле make three final points about all these
infrastructure projects which will contribute so much
to Hong Kong's future.
First, we have
issues
forward.
done all we can to take these
We do not link political and
livelihood issues.
For the Government of Hong
-