20
THURSDAY, JULY 4, 1991
CHRISTINA CHOW (RTHK): SIR DAVID, ALTHOUGH YOU SAY THAT THE MEMORANDUM DOESN'T GIVE ANY VETO POWER TO THE CHINESE SIDE, BUT THE MEMORANDUM DOES SAY THAT ANY DECISION WILL GIVE FULL WEIGHT TO THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT'S VIEWS. WHAT HAPPENS IF THE AIRPORT COMMITTEE CANNOT REACH AN AGREEMENT WITHIN ONE MONTH'S TIME ON THE GRANTING OF CONTRACTS AND GUARANTEES, ETC?
GOVERNOR: WELL I HOPE THAT IT ALWAYS WILL, I MEAN I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK ON THE POSITIVE NOT THE NEGATIVE SIDE, THAT IT ALWAYS WILL MANAGE TO REACH AN AGREEMENT IN THAT SHORT TIME SCALE. IF IT DOESN'T, I MEAN IT'S WHAT IS WRITTEN DOWN IN THAT MEMORANDUM, THAT ANY DECISION TAKEN WILL GIVE FULL WEIGHT TO THE VIEWS OF THE CHINESE SIDE. AND THEN THERE IS THE NEXT SENTENCE AFTER THAT ABOUT WHAT IS IMPORTANT IN A FRANCHISE.
CHRISTINA CHOW: DOES IT MEAN THAT THE CHINESE HAVE THE FINAL SAY IN THIS MATTER THEN?
GOVERNOR: AS I SAID EARLIER, THERE IS NO VETO WRITTEN INTO
THIS.
MICHELLE CHAN (MING PAO): SIR DAVID, WHEN THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT FIRST PUT FORWARD THIS AIRPORT PROJECT, THE GOVERNMENT INTENDED NOT TO CONSULT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT, BUT UNTIL THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT VOICED OUT THEIR DISAGREEMENT AND THEN WE ENCOUNTERED A LOT OF DIFFICULTIES IN THE NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES. AND SO DO YOU CLAIM THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAVE COMMITTED SOME MISTAKES IN THE PROCEDURES IN FORMULATING THE AIRPORT PROJECTS?
GOVERNOR: WELL AS I SAID EARLIER, YOU KNOW THE WORLD IS FULL OF 20/20 HINDSIGHT EXPERTS AND PEOPLE WHO WOULD SAY: WELL YOU SHOULD HAVE DONE IT LIKE THIS, YOU SHOULD HAVE DONE IT A DIFFERENT WAY. MEAN HAD WE ENGAGED IN A MASSIVE CONSULTATION PROCESS BEFORE OCTOBER 1989, I AM SURE THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN SOME PEOPLE WHO WOULD HAVE SAID: YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE THAT. IN OCTOBER 1989 WHEN WE TOOK THIS DECISION, THE CHINESE WERE AWARE OF WHAT WE WERE DOING. AS I'VE SAID, IT WAS WIDE PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE AND WE HAD NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THIS WAS GOING TO CREATE DIFFICULTIES. WE HAVE SINCE THEN FACED VERY PRACTICAL DIFFICULTIES AFFECTING THE WAY IN WHICH PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENT WOULD TAKE PART OR WOULDN'T TAKE PART, AND WE HAVE HAD TO TRY TO MOVE TO SOLVE THOSE DIFFICULTIES. IT HAS TAKEN A LONGISH PERIOD OF TIME AND SOME VERY DIFFICULT DISCUSSIONS TO DO IT BUT NOW WE'VE DONE IT.
KAREN CHENG
FIRST ONE WILL BE:
GOVERNMENT BUDGET
1997
WILL THERE
NEXT YEARS?
J
(COMMERCIAL RADIO): I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS, THE WHAT WILL BE THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS SHOULD THE SINCE YOU HAVE TO LEAVE 250 MILLION RESERVE AFTER BE ANY RESTRICTION ON GOVERNMENT SPENDING FOR THE
/GOVERNOR :