MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1982
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PUBLIC WORKS CONTRACT CONDITIONS BEING REVISED
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THE SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS, MR DAVID MCDONALD, SAID TODAY (MONDAY) THAT THE 1977 EDITION OF THE CONDITIONS OF CONTRACT, NOW IN USE FOR PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS, IS BEING REVISED.
SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE FEDERATION INTERNATIONALE DES INGENIEURS CONSEILS (INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF CONSULTING ENGINEERS) SEMINAR ON CONTRACTING FOR INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS, HE SAID THE REVISION FOLLOWS THE INCREASED INCIDENCE OF TECHNICAL CLAIMS BASED ON INTERPRETATIONS GIVEN BY LEGAL COMMENTATORS ON CERTAIN CLAUSES IN CONTRACTS.
+THE OPPORTUNITY HAS ALSO BEEN TAKEN TO CLARIFY CERTAIN OTHER CLAUSES. REPRESENTATIONS MADE BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR HAVE BEEN TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT. THE NEW FORM WILL STILL FOLLOW THE ICE FORM OF CONTRACT, ALTHOUGH IT WILL BE SUBSTANTIALLY DIFFERENT IN CERTAIN CONDITIONS,+ MR MCDONALD SAID.
A JOINT DISCUSSION GROUP ON THE STANDARD FORM OF CONDITIONS OF CONTRACT FOR CIVIL ENGINEERING WORKS HAS, SINCE SEPTEMBER 1981, BEEN CONSIDERING SUCH TOPICS AS CONTRACTORS' ALTERNATIVE DESIGNS, FIXED TIME LIMITS, INSURANCE, THE PRESENTATION OF GEOTECHNICAL DATA TO CONTRACTORS, MEDIATION AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO ARBITRATION, AND AN EXPANDED METHOD OF MEASUREMENT TO ACCOMMODATE CHANGE IN GEOTECHNICAL CIRCUMSTANCES, HE ADDED.
THE GROUP COMPRISES REPRESENTATIVES OF THE LANDS AND WORKS GROUP OF DEPARTMENTS, THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, THE BUILDING CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION, THE HONG KONG INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS AND THE ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTING ENGINEERS OF HONG KONG.
REFERRING TO CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY IN HONG KONG,
MR MCDONALD POINTED OUT THAT EXPENDITURE ON NEW PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS ROSE FROM $1 368 MILLION IN 1977-78 TO $5 041 MILLION IN 1981-82 - AN INCREASE OF ABOUT 55 PER CENT WHEN ADJUSTED TO CURRENT PRICES.
+THE TOTAL EXPENDITURE ON PUBLIC WORKS FOR THE CURRENT FINANCIAL YEAR, EXCLUDING PUBLIC HOUSING AND LAND ACQUISITION, IS EXPECTED TO BE IN THE REGION OF $8 500 MILLION.
+ IT IS LIKELY TO BE AT LEAST THAT AMOUNT NEXT YEAR, AND THE COMPLETION OF PROJECTS FOR THAT PART OF THE PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME FOR WHICH ESTIMATES HAVE ALREADY BEEN APPROVED WILL ENTAIL THE EXPENDITURE OF A FURTHER $12 600 MILLION, HE SAID.
MR MCDONALD STRESSED THAT THESE FIGURES DID NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE SUBSTANTIAL EXPENDITURE OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY CORPORATION, NOR OF PLANS FOR FUTURE PROJECTS SUCH AS THE PROPOSED BRIDGE AT LEI YUE MUN AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TIN SHUI WAI AREA.
/THE HIGH