16
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1974
DECISION OF PROPOSED OIL REFINERY COMPLEX URGED
X X X X X X
THE GOVERNMENT WAS TODAY URGED TO MAKE A DECISION ON THE PROPOSED $6,000 MILLION OIL REFINERY AND PETRO-CHEMICAL COMPLEX DEFORE THE END OF THIS YEAR DEFORE OUR PROSPECTIVE CUSTOMERS GO ELSEWHERE.+
THE HON. FRANCIS TIEN TOLD COUNCIL THE PROJECT COULD SUBSTANTIALLY CHANGE THE STRUCTURE AND DIRECTION OF HONG KONG'S INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AND A DECISION ON ITS IMPLEMENTATION SHOULD NOT BE DELAYED ANY LONGER.
THREE YEARS HAD GONE BY, HE NOTED, SINCE THE FIRST APPLICATION FOR LAND FOR AN OIL REFINERY WAS MADE +DUT WE HAVE YET TO SEE ANY. VISTELE SIGN OF PROGRESS. +
HE REALISED THAT APART FROM THE PROJECT'S ECONOMIC VIABILITY, ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS HAD TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT. +HOWEVER, THERE IS A LINIT TO WHICH ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL BENEFITS CAN BE SACRIFICED FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PURITY, HE ADDED.
THE PROJECT, HE WENT ON, WOULD PROVIDE THOUSANDS OF JOBS AND MANY ADDITIONAL DOWNSTREAM INDUSTRIES COULD BE CREATED TO USE THE RAW MATERIALS PRODUCED BY THE PETRO-CHEMICAL COMPLEX. ·
+WE CAN LIVE IN A SAFE, THOUGH NOT ENTIRELY PURE, ATMOSPHERE.
+LET US THEREFORE CONTENT OURSELVES WITH ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROLS THAT ARE GOOD ENOUGH, THOUGH NOT THE BEST,+ HE SAID. +IN SOME CASES, THE BEST CAN BE THE ENEMY OF THE GOOD. AND THIS, WOULD SUGGEST, MAY WELL BE THE CASE,+
MR. TIEN ALSO ADVCCATED DIRECT PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN THE FORMULATION AND ADMINISTRATION OF INDUSTRIAL LAND POLICY AND INDUSTRIAL PROMOTION POLICY.
HE NOTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT'S OVERALL LAND DEVELOPMENT PLANNING COMMITTEE, LIKE THE VARIOUS OTHER LAND COMMITTEE, HAD NO UNOFFICIAL REPRESENTATION AND HE WONDERED HOW THE COMMITTEE COULD PROPERLY TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE VIEWS OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY.
WITH PRIVATE REPRESENTATION, HE FELT +WE WILL BECOME MORE PEGMOTIONAL IN NATURE INSTEAD OF BEING SIMPLY RESPONSIVE TO ENQUIRIES.+
MR. TIEN ALSO FELT THE NEED FOR A PROPER ORGANISATION FOR DEALING WITH INDUSTRIAL PROBLEMS, AND SUGGESTED THE SETTING UP OF AN INDUSTRIAL LAND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION CHARGED WITH CO-ORDINATING, DIRECTING AND RATIONALISING THE POLICIES RELATING TO DEVELOPMENT OF INDUSTRIAL ESTATES.
HE WELCOMED THE NEW LAND POLICY OF DIRECT SALES OF SITES TO LARGE AND ECONOMICALLY DESIRALLE INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS AND HOPED THAT THIS POLICY WOULD BE PURSUED WITH GREATER VIGOUR TO ATTRACT SUITABLE ENTERPRISES TO HONG KONG.
/ON INDUSTRIAL