FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1976
MR. KNIGHT ADDED THAT HE PERSONALLY FELT THAT A SIMILAR DIFFERENTIAL PRICING SYSTEM SHOULD BE ATTEMPTED FOR NON-DOMESTIC USERS, AS HE BELIEVED THAT INDUSTRIAL OR COMMERCIAL USERS SHOULD NOT BE PROVIDED WITH A HIDDEN SUBSIDY BY THE DOMESTIC USER.
+HOWEVER, THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TASK, AND ONE NEEDING A GREAT DEAL OF RESEARCH AND EXAMINATION, HE SAID.
MR. KNIGHT DESCRIBED HONG KONG'S EFFORTS TO PROVIDE AN ADEQUATE WATER SUPPLY AS A CONTINUING "WAR', AND WARNED THAT HONG KONG COULD NOT AFFORD TO BE COMPLACENT DESPITE THE PROJECTED SLOWER SIX PER CENT GROWTH IN DEMAND IN THE NEXT TEN YEARS.
+WE MUST CONTINUE WITH ALL OUR EFFORTS TO CONTAIN UNNECESSARY GROWTH IN CONSUMPTION, HE STRESSED.
HE REJECTED THE ASSUMPTION THAT HONG KONG COULD AFFORD TO BE EASY-GOING ABOUT VIOLATIONS AND ABUSES WHEN SUPPLIES SEEMED PLENTIFUL, AND SAID THAT LENIENCY AND THE RESULTANT INCREASE IN DEMAND WOULD HAVE THE EFFECT OF BRINGING FORWARD THE NEED FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS, THUS LEADING TO EXPENDITURE HAVING TO BE STEPPED UP SOONER THAN NECESSARY.
HE SAID THAT WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MINOR CATCHMENTS AND THE EXTRA SUPPLIES FROM CHINA, DEMAND COULD BE MET UP TO ABOUT 1983 ON PRESENT PROJECTIONS.
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BUT WITH CONVENTIONAL RESOURCES DEVELOPED TO CAPACITY IT LOOKED VERY MUCH AS THOUGH WE MUST BE SERIOUSLY THINKING ABOUT NEW DESALTERS.
THIS HAD, IN FACT, ALREADY BEEN FORESEEN WHEN THE LOK ON PAI DESALTER WAS BEING BUILT, AND ALLOWANCE HAD BEEN MADE FOR POSSIBLE FUTURE EXTENSION BY MAKING THE MAJOR CIVIL ENGINEERING WORKS LARGER THAN NECESSARY FOR A 40-MILLION-GALLONS-A-DAY PLANT.
THESE MAJOR PARTS, HE SAID, WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE OR HORRIBLY EXPENSIVE TO ENLARGE LATER ON. THE EXTENSION OF THIS DESALTING PLANT, ALTHOUGH EXPENSIVE, IS THEREFORE A LESS COSTLY OPERATION THAN TO PROVIDE ANOTHER MAJOR DESALTER FROM SCRATCH.+
NEVERTHELESS, MR. KNIGHT SAID, HONG KONG STILL HAD ANOTHER YEAR OR SO BEFORE DECIDING WHETHER OR NOT TO GO IN FOR MORE DESALTERS, ALTHOUGH IN THE MEANTIME THERE WAS LOTS TO BE DONE, INCLUDING LOCATING SITES, PRELIMINARY PLANNING AND KEEPING ABREAST OF DEVELOPMENTS IN THE DESALTING FIELD.
+DESALTED WATER IS EXPENSIVE, SO IT IS WISE NOT TO COMMIT
OURSELVES TOO SOON,+ HE SAID.
+WE HAVE TO TRY TO GET THE TIMING RIGHT SO THAT WE ARE NOT SPENDING MONEY EARLIER THAN WE HAVE TO MONEY BADLY NEEDED FOR OTHER PURPOSES NOR DO WE WANT TO LEAVE IT SO LATE THAT WATER WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE WHEN WE NEED IT.+
/LOOKING