WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 1974.
L.
WARNING OF FURTHER CUTBACKS IN FUEL CONSUMPTION
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THE HON. DR. CHUNG SZE-YUEN TODAY CALLED ON THE GOVERNMENT TO EXERT GREATER PRESSURE ON THE OIL COMPANIES TO INCREASE THEIR OIL SUPPLIES TO HONG KONG.
+THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD ALSO SEEK ASSURANCE FROM THE OIL COMPANIES THAT THEY WOULD NOT DIVERT OUR SHARE OF OIL TO PLACES WHERE THEY CAN UBTAIN BETTER PRICES THAN IN HONG KONG, HE TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL DURING THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON THE OIL SITUATION.
DR. CHUNG WARNED THAT FURTHER CUTBACKS IN THE USE OF ELECTRIC ENERGY MAY BECOME NECESSARY THIS SUMMER IF THE POWER COMPANIES COULD NOT OBTAIN A 15 PER CENT INCREASE IN OIL SUPPLIES.
WITH HONG KONG ABOUT TO ENTER A PEAK SEASON OF MAXIMUM DEMAND FOR ELECTRIC ENERGY DUE TO THE HEAVY LOADING OF AIR-CONDITIONING, +WE CANNOT BE COMPLACENT AT THIS STAGE AND HAVE TO CONTINUE WITH OUR EFFORT TO SAVE ELECTRICITY, HE STRESSED.
WHILE HE SUPPORTED THE GOVERNMENT'S. POLICY OF GIVING ESSENTIAL SERVICES AND INDUSTRY PRIORITY OF FUEL OIL, DR. CHUNG EMPHASISED THAT INDUSTRY MUST NOT ABUSE THIS PRIORITY AND MUST BE AWARE OF ITS RESPONSIBILITY TO SAVE THROUGH GREATER EFFICIENCY AND LESS WASTAGE.
IN THIS REGARD, THE HONG KONG PRODUCTIVITY CENTRE WAS NOW ORGANISING A TEAM OF FOREIGN AND LOCAL EXPERTS TO DEMONSTRATE TO INDUSTRY WAYS AND MEANS OF SAVING ENERGY AND TO CONDUCT TRAINING PROGRAMMES AND SEMINARS ON EFFICIENT USE OF FUEL AND ELECTRICITY, AS WELL AS TO PROVIDE ENERGY CONSULTANCY SERVICES TO INDIVIDUAL FACTORIES,
*I AM CONFIDENT THAT THIS DRIVE WILL MAKE SOME MEANINGFUL CONTRIBUTION TO THE CONSERVATION OF ENERGY IN HONG KONG, HE SAID.
DR. CHUNG ALSO CALLED ON THE NEWLY-ESTABLISHED CONSUMER COUNCIL TO MAKE A CLOSE EXAMINATION OF THE SITUATION OF OIL SUPPLY AND OIL PRICING FOR THE PROTECTION OF CONSUMERS.
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ALTHOUGH SUPPLY OF OIL IN THE MEDIATE FUTURE MIGHT BE LESS CRITICAL THAN A FEU MONTHS AGO, HE NOTED, OIL PRICES HAD MORE THAN DOUBLED. FUEL OIL WHICH WAS SELLING AT ABOUT $100 PER TON WAS NOW SELLING AT OVER $300, WHILE ELECTRICITY FOR A MEDIUM BULK USER NOW COST 17-1/2 CENT PER KILOWAT-HOUR AS COMPARED TO 10 CENTS SIX MONTHS AGO.
DR. CHUNG EXPRESSED HIS GRATITUDE TO THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF - CHINA FOR SUPPLYING HONG KONG WITH ADDITIONAL FUEL OIL AT A CRITICAL
PERIOD, AND SUGGESTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD TRY TO PERSUADĘ. THE CHINESE GUVERNMENT TO SUPPLY HONG KONG WITH MORE OIL IN THE COMING SUMMER SO AS TO MINIMISE HARDSHIP.
HE ALSO PAID TRIBUTE TO THE CHAIRMAN OF THE OIL POLICY COMMITTEE. MR. MICHAEL CLINTON, AND TO THE CHAIRMAN OF THE OIL · DISTRIBUTION COMMITTEE, MR. ROY PORTER, FOR THEIR GOOD WORK.
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