24
THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 1993
WE HAVE
ANOTHER CALLER NOW ON PRESENTER: QUESTION FOR MR MACLEOD, GO AHEAD.
QUESTION:
DID YOU
3388266.
YOU
HAVE
A
SMALLER SCALE. ELECTRIC ON
TO
TAX
FINANCIAL SECRETARY, A QUESTION OF A FAR CONSIDER REMOVING THE FIRST REGISTRATION VEHICLES AND WOULD YOU CONSIDER DOING THIS IN FUTURE BUDGETS SO AS PROMOTE THEIR USE IN HONG KONG?
FS: I DIDN'T. AWARE
PARTICULARLY
WHICH
THAT,
I
YOU'RE HAVEN'T
I DON'T THINK IT WAS A POINT THAT I WAS OF. I PRESUME THIS IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL MEASURE
AS. SUGGESTING
I WOULD BE WILLING TO LOOK AT IT HONESTLY SEEN A CASE PUT UP FOR IT.
DONE,
THEN
PRESENTER:
YOU SUGGESTING CALLER THAT IF THAT WAS ARE MORE PEOPLE WOULD SWITCH FROM THEIR FILTHY DIESEL ENGINES THAT ARE NOT MAINTAINED PROPERLY INTO ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY ELECTRIC CARS?
AN.
AND
OR LOPPYIST
A QUESTION:
I
I'M NOT IN FACT AN ENVIRONMENTAL
BUT E LOBBYIST FOR THE ELECTRIC INDUSTRY OF ANYTHING OF THAT NATURE
ΤΟ GET BELIEVE LOS ANGELES IS MOVING TOWARDS THE END OF THIS CENTURY, 10 PER CENT OF THE VEHICLES ON THE ROAD WILL BE ELECTRIC VEHICLES IT'S SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT IN HONG KONG BUT AT THE MOMENT,
THE UNDERSTAND,
SO COST OF BRINGING THESE VEHICLES IN IS GREAT DEAL. BECAUSE OF THE FIRST REGISTRATION TAX ON THEM.
AS Ι
A
LARGE,
PRESENTER: I THINK YOU'VE GOT A COMMITMENT FROM MR MACLEOD THAT HE'S OPEN GOT AN OPEN MIND ON THIS ONE BUT HE HASN'T ACTUALLY APPLIED THAT MIND TO IT YET AND I'M SURE THERE ARE PEOPLE WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT WHO
ON COULD
AN AND JUST AGAIN MR MACLEOD GIVE HIM ADVICE ON THAT ONE. ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE, IT HAS BEEN POINTED OUT AND I DON'T KNOW WITH HOW MUCH FAIRNESS, THAT THE ENORMOUS EXPENDITURE YOU'RE PREPARED INTO THINGS LIKE THE EXHIBITION CENTRE AND EVEN THE ROADS, CONTRIBUTION OF THE GOVERNMENT TO SUCH ENVIRONMENTAL
CLEANING UP THE HARBOUR LOOK QUITE NIGGARDLY?
TO PUT MAKE THE PROJECTS AS
FS:
WELL I GUESS THE FACT OF LIFE IS THAT YOU HAVE...
FS:
WELL, I GUESS THE FACT OF LIFE IS THAT YOU HAVE ΤΟ BALANCE YOUR PROJECTS RATHER CAREFULLY, AND YOU WILL NOTICE THAT A LOT OF THOSE ONE-OFF PROJECTS WHICH ARE IN THE BUDGET ARE ONES WHICH IMPROVE, AS IT WERE, OUR EARNING CAPACITY, THAT IS TO SAY THEY ENABLE FUTURE ECONOMIC GROWTH. THE ENVIRONMENTAL MEASURES, THE SEWAGE MEASURES TO BE SPECIFIC, ALAS, DO NOT DO THAT. SO ONE HAS TO BALANCE OFF MONEY WHICH SIMPLY IMPROVES THE ENVIRONMENT AGAINST MONEY WHICH ACTUALLY IMPROVES THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND OUR EFFICIENCY AND OUR BARNING CAPACITY IN THE FUTURE, SO WE HAVE TO KEEP A BALANCE.
OF COURSE THE SEWAGE PROGRAMME IS NOT THE FULL STORY, WE ARE SPENDING BILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON LANDFILL, FOR EXAMPLE, ON DISPOSAL OF SOLID REFUSE, SO THE SEWAGE PROGRAMME IS NOT THE SUM OF OUR EFFORTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT.
/QUESTION