30-SEP-1993
EPITIE TRADE COMM
30 193
12:27 THE B C H.K +852 519 8640
P.7
The Proposed Management Training Centre: Action Required to Secure the Project
Endorsement of the project has already been given by the Hong Kong Government.
The Secretary for Education and Manpower has confirmed that there are no policy objections to the Centre and the Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands has offered to "assist as much as possible as regards the question of a site".
The Chiang Industrial Charity Foundation Ltd has offered to raise up to $50 million to build the centre. However, this offer is contingent on a significant contribution from HMG to establish Britain's bona fides as an equal partner in determining the policy of the centre.
HMG would not be expected to provide matching funding. The British Council proposes the following contribution which it believes will be acceptable to the Chiang Foundation:
*
In 1995/96 £250,000 as a non-recurrent contribution to the fit- out costs of the centre.
In 1996/97 the £250,000 to be deployed in a recurrent programme providing scholarships to allow graduates of the IGDS course to pursue further studies in the UK.
This sum could be found from savings released by the staggered withdrawal of the Rate Support Grant.
It is suggested that any gap between the total fit-out costs and the HMG contribution would be met by sponsorship/donations.
The British Council in Hong Kong will continue to manage the project using current Grant-in-Aid resources and would be prepared to manage the building project on a consultancy basis as the Chiang Foundation has indicated would be its preference.
The British Council is also prepared to manage the scholarship programme.
The priority is for a meeting between the Minister, the BTC and British Council to discuss how we might secure the contribution requested of HMG.
P.09
(D=)