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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1988
SHE SAID THE GOVERNMENT'S TASK WAS TO ENSURE THAT HONG KONG'S INFRASTRUCTURE REMAINED ADEQUATE TO UNDERPIN OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
"BEFORE WE EMBARK ON THIS DEVELOPMENT, WE NEED TO BE SATISFIED THAT THE PROJECT IS VIABLE AND THAT THE ECONOMY HAS THE CAPACITY TO COPE WITH THE DEMANDS PLACED UPON IT BY SUCH A MASSIVE PROJECT WHICH WILL TAKE SEVERAL YEARS TO COMPLETE.
"THE GOVERNMENT ALSO HAS TO CONSIDER THE OPTIMUM BALANCE BETWEEN PUBLIC SECTOR AND PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENTS AS WELL AS THE MACHANISMS NECESSARY TO ENABLE THE SMOOTH CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF THE FACILITY ONCE A DECISION TO PROCEED IS TAKEN, SHE SAID.
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BE, MRS CHAN
ON THE QUESTION OF WHERE THE NEW AIRPORT SHOULD SAID TWO STUDIES WERE TAKING PLACE ON THIS
ONE EXAMINING THE FEASIBILITY OF HAVING A NEW AIRPORT IN THE WESTERN HARBOUR AREA ΤΟ THE EAST OF LANTAU ISLAND AND THE OTHER SEEKING ΤΟ REVISE AND UPDATING THE 1982 MASTER PLAN FOR A REPLACEMENT AIRPORT AT CHEK LAP KOK, NORTH OF LANTAU.
TO
SHE SAID THAT BEFORE THE GOVERNMENT COULD NARROW THE CHOICE ONE, IT WAS ABSOLUTELY VITAL FOR THE RELATIVE ADVANTAGES OF THE SITES TO BE VERY THOROUGHLY EXAMINED FROM THE AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING AND ENVIRONMENTAL POINTS OF VIEW.
"THEN, OF COURSE, THE PROGRAMMING FOR BUILDING NEW AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT MUST TIE IN WITH THE EXPECTED LIFE SPAN OF KAI
TAK," SHE
SAID.
AS REGARDS HONG KONG'S PORT FACILITIES, MRS CHAN SAID THE RELATIVE EASE OF ESTABLISHING A COMMERICAL PRESENCE IN HONG KONG, TOGETHER WITH EXCELLENT COMMUNICATIONS, HAD LED ΤΟ A REMARKABLE GROWTH IN THE OPERATIONS OF SHIPPING SUPPORT COMPANIES, FOR EXAMPLE
IN THE BANKING, INSURANCE AND SERVICE SECTORS.
*
ADDED TO A VERY STRONG SHIP OWNERSHIP BASE, THIS HAS CONSOLIDATED HONG KONG'S POSITION AS A LEADING SHIPPING CENTRE IN WORLD TERMS, SHE SAID.
TE
TURNING TO TELECOMMUNICATIONS, MRS CHAN SAID HONG KONG'S DENSE POPULATION AND THE LARGE VOLUMES OF TRAFFIC GENERATED BY A HIGHLY ACTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNITY MEANT THAT FURTHER COMPETITION IN THIS SECTOR OF THE MARKET WAS NOT ONLY FEASIBLE BUT HIGHLY DESIRABLE.
SHE SAID THE RECENT GOVERNMENT DECISION IN FAVOUR OF A SECOND TELECOMMUNICATIONS NETWORK FOR TRANSMITTING CABLE TELEVISION AND NON-FRANCHISED SERVICES SUCH AS DATA AND FACSIMILE WAS A FURTHER SIGNIFICANT STEP IN TAPPING THE POTENTIAL OF THIS FAST EXPANDING COMPETITIVE SECTOR.
PROPOSALS
WOULD BE OPEN FOR
MRS CHAN SAID THE INVITATION FOR CABLE TELEVISION WAS ISSUED BY THE GOVERNMENT ON SEPTEMBER 19 AND SIX MONTHS.
/SHE SAID