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1
FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 1992
NO FAVOURITISM IN AWARD OF ACP CONTRACTS
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THE GOVERNMENT HAS ALWAYS MAINTAINED A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD APPROACH ON TENDERING PROCEDURES AND THE AWARD OF CONTRACTS, THE SECRETARY FOR WORKS, MR JAMES BLAKE, SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).
"THIS HAS BEEN DONE IN A FAIR AND PRESCRIBED MANNER, AND THE STANDARDS ARE BEING RIGOROUSLY MAINTAINED ON AIRPORT CORE (ACP) CONSULTANCY AND WORKS CONTRACTS," MR BLAKE SAID IN A TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AD HOC GROUP FORMED TO STUDY THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE NEW AIRPORT AND RELATED PROJECTS.
PROGRAMMB STATEMENT FINANCIAL
GIVEN
HE SAID NO FAVOURITISM WAS SHOWN AND NO COUNTRY WAS PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT, NOR WAS ANY RESTRICTION IMPOSED ON GROUNDS OF NATIONALITY.
THIS APPROACH STEMMED FROM THE BASIC PRINCIPLE OF FAIR AND OPEN COMPETITION, WHICH WAS FUNDAMENTAL TO HONG KONG'S ECONOMIC SUCCESS,
MR BLAKE SAID THE PROCEDURES OF THE CENTRAL TENDER BOARD AND THE ENGINEERING AND ASSOCIATED CONSULTANTS SELECTION BOARD WERE WELL ESTABLISHED AND HAD BEEN PROVED TO BE FAIR IN OPERATION.
THEY HAD ALSO BEEN VETTED, AND WERE CONSTANTLY
MONITORED,
BY
THE INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION.
IN PROVIDING A LIST OF ACP CONSULTANCIES AWARDED SO FAR, MR BLAKE EXPLAINED THAT THE LETTERS HK IN FRONT OF THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN, FOR EXAMPLE HK (UK) INDICATED THAT THE FIRM HAD BEEN SET UP IN HONG KONG FOR FIVE YEARS OR MORE.
THE 37 ACP CONSULTANCIES AWARDED 90 FAR COMPRISED:
HK (UK)
14
UK
4
USA
4
HK
4
NETHERLANDS
1
JAPAN
1
MULTINATIONAL JOINT VENTURES (9)
HK (UK)/HK (USA)
HK/USA
HK/UK
HK/UK/USA/AUSTRALIA
1
1
1 1
HK/NETHERLANDS/AUSTRALIA/UK
MR BLAKE SAID: "THE HK (UK) TOTAL IS LARGER THAN THE REST AND INCLUDES MANY BRITISH-ORIGINATED NAMES, BECAUSE A LARGE NUMBER CONSULTANTS HAVE SET UP FIRMS HERE OVER THE YEARS.
OF
UK
"IT IS THESE HONG KONG OFFSHOOTS WHICH HAVE WON THE CONTRACTS, NOT BUSINESSES BASED IN THE UK. MANY HAVE BEEN HERE FOR A CONSIDERABLE NUMBER OF YEARS SOME FOR AS LONG AS 40 YEARS OR MORE.
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