THURSDAY, JANUARY 2). 1453
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BRIGHT FUTURE FOR N.T. PREDICTED
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VIGOROUS INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE AND A STABLE ADMINISTRATION ARE TWO MAIN ELEMENTS IN A PICTURE OF THE NEW TERRITORIES PAINTED TODAY BY THE REGIONAL SECRETARY FOR NEW TERRITORIES, MR IAN MACPHERSON.
IN A LUNCHEON SPEECH TO THE ROTARY CLUB OF KOWLOON, HE NOTED THAT THE INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE, BY BOTH THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR, WOULD BE UNDETERRED BY THE CURRENT ECONOMIC RECESSION AND WOULD NOT BE DISTRACTED BY CONSIDERATION OF THE POLITICAL FUTURE.
BUT RATHER, IT WOULD BE COMPLEMENTED BY A MASSIVE AND DEDICATED EFFORT TO CREATE COMMUNITIES IN THE NEW TOWNS IN WHICH HUGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE WERE CONTENT TO LIVE AND BRING UP THEIR CHILDREN, HE SAID.
+ALL THIS IS IN THE CONTEXT OF A WELL ORDERED LEGAL AND FINANCIAL FRAMEWORK AND A STABLE ADMINISTRATION WHICH IS ALL TOO FREQUENTLY TAKEN FOR GRANTED, HE SAID.
MR MACPHERSON SAID GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE ON THE NEW TERRITORIES DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME WOULD BE MAINTAINED AND INCREASED IN THE COMING FINANCIAL YEAR AT 20 PER CENT ABOVE THE CURRENT YEAR'S $3.1 BILLION.
HOWEVER, HE POINTED OUT THAT THIS DID NOT INCLUDE THE COST OF PUBLIC HOUSING BEING PROVIDED BY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, NOR DID IT INCLUDE THE COST OF COMMITTED PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT.
+JUST LOOKING AT A FEW OF THE COMMITTED NEW TOWN PRIVATE-SECTOR PROJECTS, I ADDED UP CAPITAL COSTS OF SEVERAL HUNDRED BILLION DOLLARS, HE SAID.
MR MACPHERSON POINTED OUT THAT OVER 40 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL N.T. LAND MASS WAS COUNTRY PARK OR WATER CATCHMENT WHICH COULD NOT BE DEVELOPED.
+ONE OF THE PLEASING THINGS IS THAT WE ARE NOW MOVING BEYOND THE PURE PROVISION OF CONCRETE AND BITUMEN INTO THE CREATION OF PARKS AND OPEN SPACES, RECREATIONAL AND AMENITY FACILITY, TREE PLANTING AND LANDSCAPING ALL AIMED AT PRODUCING A PLEASANT LIVING ENVIRONMENT.+
CRUCIAL TO ALL THIS WAS THE TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE AND THIS PROGRAMME TOO WAS PRESSING AHEAD BOTH IN TERMS OF CURRENT PROJECTS AND FUTURE PLANNING, HE SAID.
IN THIS CONTEXT, HE POINTED TO THE COMPLETION OF THE TUEN MUN HIGHWAY AND THE ELECTRIFICATION OF THE KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY UP TO THE BORDER, PLUS THE TSUEN WAN AND YUEN LONG BYPASSES, AND THE NEW TERRITORIES CIRCULAR ROAD WHICH WOULD LINK UP WITH THE NEW BRIDGE TO BE BUILT JOINTLY WITH THE SHENZHEN AUTHORITIES.
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