MONDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1985
VISITORS WELCOMED TO SEE HONG KONG SIR DAVID
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AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE SHOULD COME TO HONG KONG AND SEE THIS PLACE AS IT IS TODAY, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID THIS (MONDAY) MORNING WHEN ASKED TO COMMENT ON THE FORTHCOMING VISIT BY THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE HONG KONG AND MACAU AFFAIRS OFFICE OF CHINA'S STATE COUNCIL, MR LU PING.
THIS APPLIES TO PEOPLE FROM AMERICA, TO PEOPLE FROM BRITAIN AND TO PEOPLE FROM CHINA, HE TOLD REPORTERS AFTER OFFICIATING AT THE TOPPING-OUT CEREMONY OF THE GOVERNMENT OFFICES BUILDING IN QUEENSWAY.
ASKED TO COMMENT ON CRITICISMS BY SOME URBAN COUNCILLORS AND DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS THAT THEY HAD LITTLE CHANCE TO TALK TO STATE COUNCILLOR MR JI PENGFE AT THE RECENT LUNCH HOSTED BY THE SECRETARY FOR DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, MR DONALD LIAO, SIR DAVID SAID MR JI HAD HAD AN EXTREMELY BUSY PROGRAMME SINCE HE WAS HERE.
+ I UNDERSTAND THAT HIS PROGRAMME FOR THE REST OF THIS WEEK IS REALLY VERY FULL INDEED, AND THAT HE IS MAKING A TREMENDOUS EFFORT TO SEE AND LISTEN TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE, HE SAID.
ON MR JI'S VISIT, SIR DAVID SAID HE WAS VERY GLAD THAT +THE WEATHER AFTER THE FIRST THREE RAINY WET DAYS HAS PICKED UP NOW AND HE IS SEEING HONG KONG AT ITS BEST+.
ON WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT WOULD TAKE ACTION AGAINST GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE 26 PUBLIC HOUSING BLOCKS FOUND TO BE SUB-STANDARD, SIR DAVID SAID THE PROBLEM WAS BEING THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATED BY THE GOVERNMENT AND BY OTHER INVESTIGATORY AUTHORITIES SUCH AS THE ICAC,
+I AM SURE THE INVESTIGATION WILL BE COMPLETELY THOROUGH.
+BUT YOU MUST REMEMBER THAT THESE BUILDING BLOCKS WERE PUT UP WELL OVER 15 YEARS AGO+, HE SAID, THE CONTRACTORS PERHAPS ARE NO LONGER HERE AND PEOPLE WHO WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR BUILDING THEM ARE NO LONGER HERE. IT IS A VERY MISTY PAST. IT IS A LONG WAY AWAY.+
TURNING TO THE NEW GOVERNMENT OFFICES BUILDING WHICH WAS TOPPED OUT TODAY, SIR DAVID SAID THE PRINCIPAL OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT WAS TO BUILD A LARGE BUILDING WHICH WOULD ABSORB MANY OF THE OFFICES WHICH WERE IN LEASED ACCOMMODATION ALL AROUND CENTRAL.
SIR DAVID SAID SUCH LEASED OFFICES WERE SUBJECT TO RISING RENTS AND THE RENEWAL OF LEASES EVERY THREE OR FOUR YEARS.
SO IT WAS MUCH BETTER REALLY IN TERMS OF PERMANENCE TO HAVE OUR OWN PURPOSE-BUILT OFFICE, HE SAID.
/AS FOR