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THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 1993
"THE
GATT PROVIDES A SOUND FRAMEWORK FOR TRADE MULTILATERAL MECHANISM FOR THE RESOLUTION OF
AND A DISPUTES.
LIBERALISATION
BILATERAL TRADE
"THESE ARE ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT TO THE ECONOMIES OF THE REGION AS THEY CONTINUE THEIR EXPANSION IN TRADE AND OTHER EXTERNAL ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES," MR CHAU SAID.
'WHAT WE SEEK TO ACHIEVE IN REGIONAL FORUMS SUCH AS ESCAP AND APEC MUST BE CONSISTENT WITH THE PRINCIPLES AND PROVISIONS OF THE GATT AND MUST NOT DETRACT FROM OUR EFFORTS IN BRINGING THE URUGUAY ROUND OF MULTILATERAL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS TO A SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION LATER THIS YEAR, HE ADDED.
TT
UPDATE ON BEACH WATER GRADES
THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT TODAY ( THURSDAY) ANNOUNCED GRADES ON THE BACTERIOLOGICAL WATER QUALITY OF ALL BATHING BEACHES IN HONG KONG,
THIS IS THE FIRST REPORT ON BEACH WATER QUALITY GRADINGS THIS YEAR WHICH SERVES TO INFORM SWIMMERS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC ABOUT THE STATE OF BACTERIOLOGICAL POLLUTION AT VARIOUS BEACHES.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID STARTING FROM THIS WEEK, THE GRADING WOULD BE ANNOUNCED BIWEEKLY DURING THE BATHING SEASON TO COINCIDE WITH THE FREQUENCY AT WHICH BEACH WATER WAS USUALLY SAMPLED.
THE GRADING IS BASED ON THE MOST RECENT E. COLI DATA OBTAINED BY THE DEPARTMENT IN ITS ROUTINE MONITORING PROGRAMME.
AS WITH LAST YEAR, THE GRADING ALSO INCLUDES AN ESTIMATE OF THE RISK OF SUFFERING SOME MINOR SKIN OR GASTROINTESTINAL COMPLAINTS AS A RESULT OF SWIMMING AT A BEACH THAT HAS SOME DEGREE OF POLLUTION.
THE ESTIMATE IS BASED ON A LARGE BODY OF STATISTICAL INFORMATION GATHERED IN HONG KONG IN RECENT BATHING SEASONS.
THE GRADING OF SOME BEACHES MAY VARY DURING THE SUMMER. THIS REPRESENTS A NATURAL FLUCTUATION IN THE BACTERIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF BATHING WATER IN MOST CASES, AS RAIN AND TIDES BRING MORE OR LESS POLLUTION TO THE BEACHES.
HOWEVER, THE GRADES GIVE A GOOD GENERAL PICTURE OF THE WATER QUALITY AT BATHING BEACHES AT THE TIME OF REPORTING AND FORM THE BEST AVAILABLE FORECAST FOR THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE.
"BEACHES WITH HIGHLY DEVELOPED HINTERLANDS ARE LIKELY TO BE MORE POLLUTED THAN THE GRADES SUGGEST DURING AND AFTER HEAVY RAIN.
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"BATHERS SHOULD AVOID SUCH BEACHES FOR TWO OR THREE DAYS AFTER A STORM, LONGER IF THE WEATHER REMAINS OVERCAST OR LESS IF THERE STRONG SUNSHINE.
T
/THE SYSTEM
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