TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1988
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"MORE IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS STAFF WOULD BE NEEDED TO DEAL WITH VISA APPLICATIONS AND IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS CLEARANCES AT ENTRY POINTS.
"IT IS ESTIMATED THAT AT LEAST 200 EXTRA STAFF WOULD BE NEEDED FOR THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT ALONE."
APART FROM THE STRAIN ON THE DISCIPLINED SERVICES, THE SPOKESMAN SAID OTHER PUBLIC SERVICE STAFF WOULD ALSO BE INVOLVED IF AN EXPO WERE TO BE HELD.
"EVEN IF THE BUSINESS SIDE OF THE EXPO WERE ΤΟ BE RUN BY A SEPARATE CORPORATION, THE GOVERNMENT WOULD, AS HOST FOR THE EVENT, HAVE ΤΟ RETAIN RESPONSIBILITY FOR ALL CEREMONIAL, SECURITY AND DIPLOMATIC FUNCTIONS," HE SAID.
THE SPOKESMAN ADDED THAT IN THE LIGHT OF ALL THESE CONSIDERATIONS THE GOVERNOR 'IN COUNCIL HAD DECIDED NOT TO REGISTER AN INTEREST WITH THE BUREAU INTERNATIONALE DES EXPOSITIONS (BIE).
THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL TOOK THE VIEW THAT' TO PROCEED ΤΟ REGISTER IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF ALL THE SERIOUS RESERVATIONS HELD ABOUT THE PROPOSAL WOULD BE TO MISLEAD THE BIE AND THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG," HE SAID.
IF
"THESE RESERVATIONS ARE BASED ON FUNDAMENTAL POLICY DECISIONS ON PRIORITIES, AND FURTHER STUDIES COULD NOT HELP IN RESOLVING THEM, HE ADDED.
HE POINTED OUT THAT UNDER BIE RULES, IF HONG KONG REGISTERED AN INTEREST, IT WOULD BE REQUIRED TO MAKE A PRESENTATION TO THE FULL COUNCIL IN MID-DECEMBER.
"CLEARLY, HONG KONG WOULD NEED TO PRESENT STRONG ARGUMENTS TO SUPPORT AN APPLICATION TO HOST A WORLD EXPOSITION 1997. AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF PRESENT UNCERTAINTIES ABOUT THE PROJECT, IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO MAKE A CONVINCING PRESENTATION TO THE BIE," HE SAID.
THE SPOKESMAN ADDED THAT THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL ALSO CAREFUL CONSIDERATION TO THE ALTERNATIVE OF STAGING AN EXPO IN BUT FELT THAT MANY OF THE RESERVATIONS ABOUT AN EXPO IN 1997 ALSO APPLY TO THIS PROPOSAL.
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