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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1986
+ON THE OTHER HAND, IF A COAL-FIRED POWER STATION OF EQUIVALENT CAPACITY WERE TO BE BUILT IN HONG KONG TO REPLACE THE DAYA BAY PLANT, ITS ENTIRE CAPITAL ASSET WILL HAVE TO BE BROUGHT INTO THE SCHEME OF CONTROL AND BE FULLY REFLECTED IN FUTURE ELECTRICITY TARIFF STRUCTURE, HE SAID.
+MOREOVER, HONG KONG WOULD HAVE TO RAISE THE NECESSARY INITIAL CAPITAL TO FINANCE THE PROJECT, HE ADDED.
CALL FOR INDEPENDENT COMMISSION *****
THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD CONSIDER SETTING UP AN INDEPENDENT COMMISSION DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE TO THE GOVERNOR TO ENSURE THAT THE DAYA BAY ISSUE RECEIVES THE CONTINUOUS AND SPECIALISED ATTENTION IT DESERVES, THE HON PETER C. WONG SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
SPEAKING ON THE DAYA BAY MOTION IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR WONG SAID SUCH A MOVE MIGHT HELP ALLAY PUBLIC FEARS AND PREVENT ANY FURTHER EROSION OF PUBLIC CONFIDENCE.
HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT MUST ENSURE THAT A CONTINGENCY PLAN AND AN EARLY WARNING SYSTEM IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT OF A NUCLEAR ACCIDENT ARE WORKED OUT WELL BEFORE THE PLANT STARTS UP. IN IT WAS IN THIS RESPECT THAT HE THOUGHT AN INDEPENDENT COMMISSION WOULD BE USEFUL.
MR WONG SAID COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE SEEKING OTHER INFORMATION, IN ADDITION TO SAFETY DETAILS TO ASSIST THEM, AND THE PUBLIC, IN ASSESSING WHETHER THE DECISIONS TAKEN TO BUY ELECTRICITY FROM DAYA BAY WERE PRUDENT AND WHETHER CONSUMERS WOULD ACTUALLY BENEFIT FROM LOWER TARIFFS.
+THE INFORMATION SOUGHT DOES NOT, HOWEVER, INFRINGE ON THE RIGHT TO COMMERCIAL CONFIDENTIALITY, HE SAID.
+THIS IS IMPORTANT AS HONG KONG IS AN INTERNATIONAL TRADING CENTRE AND INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL CODES OF CONDUCT MUST BE RESPECTED.+
NOTING THAT THE COUNCUL DELEGATION THAT WENT TO PEKING HAD BEEN ABLE TO ELICIT CERTAIN IMPORTANT ASSURANCES FROM THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES, MR WONG SAID: +NO EFFORTS SHOULD BE SPARED TO SEE THAT THESE ASSURANCES ARE IMPLEMENTED, THE SOONER THE BETTER.+
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