WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1992
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THE
ENTIRE SEWAGE STRATEGY PROGRAMME WOULD REQUIRE SOME $17.8 BILLION OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS, WITH $7.3 BILLION OF THIS REQUIRED BETWEEN NOW AND 1997.
IT WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE TO FUND THIS FROM THE CAPITAL WORKS RESERVE FUND IN THE NORMAL WAY. EVEN IF BUDGETARY GUIDELINES WERE IGNORED AND ALL OTHER CAPITAL PROJECTS PRE-EMPTED, FINANCING ON THIS SCALE WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE.
"BUT WE CANNOT SIMPLY SHRUG OUR SHOULDERS AND ACCEPT DEFEAT. THE PROBLEM WILL NOT GO AWAY. SO HOW DO WE FIND THE RESOURCES WE NEED?" HE SAID.
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ONE WAY FORWARD IS FOR THE COMMUNITY TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE COST OF SEWAGE SERVICES WHICH EVERYONE USES.
"THE BROAD PRINCIPLE IS THAT AS WE ALL CONTRIBUTE IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER TO WATER POLLUTION, IT IS RIGHT WE SHOULD ALL WORK TOGETHER TO HELP SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
"PEOPLE HAVE SAID TO ME THAT THEY WOULD NOT OBJECT то MAKING SOME MODEST CONTRIBUTION THEMSELVES, PROVIDED THEY WERE CONVINCED THAT THE TERRITORY'S APPALLING WATER POLLUTION PROBLEMS WOULD BE PROPERLY SORTED OUT AS A RESULT.
"BUT IT WOULD BE UNFAIR FOR THE BURDEN TO FALL PRIMARILY ON ORDINARY FAMILIES.
"SO THE GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSAL IS THAT THE CONTRIBUTION MADE BY INDIVIDUAL HOUSEHOLDS SHOULD INDEED BE MODEST.
"WE WILL BE LOOKING IN MORE DETAIL AT THESE ARRANGEMENTS OVER THE PERIOD AHEAD AND, IN DUE COURSE, WIDELY ON THEM, HE SAID.
FINANCING CONSULTING
MR PATTEN SAID IT WAS CLEARLY IMPORTANT THAT THE GOVERNMENT ITSELF SHOULD ALSO SHOW ITS COMMITMENT TO SOLVING THIS PROBLEM IN A FAIR AND REASONABLE WAY.
"I AM PROPOSING, THEREFORE, THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD CONTRIBUTE NOT LESS THAN $3 BILLION FROM ITS CAPITAL INVESTMENT FUND TO ENABLE THE STRATEGY TO GET OFF THE GROUND QUICKLY.
"THIS INJECTION WILL REDUCE VERY CONSIDERABLY THE LEVEL OF
CHARGES THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE NECESSARY.
"I WANT TO EMPHASISE THAT THE FIRST $7.3 BILLION PHASE OF THE SEWAGE STRATEGY, ON WHICH WE ARE EMBARKING, CAN AND WILL BE FINANCED BY HONG KONG BEFORE 1997; FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE STRATEGY WILL BE A MATTER FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE SAR IN THE YEARS BEYOND.
"I BELIEVE THAT BY WORKING TOGETHER IN THE WAY I HAVE DESCRIBED, GOVERNMENT, INDUSTRY AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE WILL BE ABLE TO CLEAN UP OUR WATERS AND MAKE OUR AMBITIOUS SEWAGE STRATEGY A REALITY.
/"I SHALL