2
THURSDAY, APRIL 29, 1993
DATE SET FOR THIRD ROUND OF ELECTION TALKS
THE
FOLLOWING
TODAY (THURSDAY).
THE BRITISH
STATEMENT WAS ISSUED IN BEIJING AT 1600 HOURS
SIDE AND THE CHINESE SIDE HAVE AGREED THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE, SIR ROBIN MCLAREN, BRITISH AMBASSADOR ΤΟ CHINA, AND THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE, MR JIANG ENZHU, VICE FOREIGN MINISTER OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, WILL HOLD THEIR THIRD ROUND OF TALKS IN BEIJING BETWEEN 21 AND 23 MAY 1993 ON THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE 1994/95 ELECTIONS IN HONG KONG IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION, THE PRINCIPLE CONVERGENCE WITH THE BASIC LAW AND THE RELEVANT AGREEMENTS UNDERSTANDINGS REACHED BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA.
THE
0
SES OUTLINES AGENDA FOR TELECOMS REFORMS
OF
AND
SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC SERVICES, MR GORDON SIU, TODAY (THURSDAY) OUTLINED HIS AGENDA FOR REFORMS IN TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY IN THE COMING FEW MONTHS.
SPEAKING FOR THE FIRST TIME AS THE SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC SERVICES, MR SIU SAID THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA WAS TO ESTABLISH THE OFFICE OF THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS AUTHORITY (OFTA) SHORTLY AND ΤΟ PUT INTO OPERATION OF THE TERRITORY'S LEGISLATIVE REFORMS.
APPROVAL FROM
HE TOLD PARTICIPANTS AT THE INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH CONFERENCE THAT SUBJECT TO THE REQUISITE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, THE NEW BODY FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS REGULATION, TO BE STYLED OFTA, WOULD BE SET UP ON JULY 1.
THE SECOND ITEM WAS TO RESOLUTE THE REMAINING POLICY ISSUES ATTACHED TO THE INTRODUCTION OF FIXED NETWORK COMPETITION, CLEARING THE WAY FOR LICENCES TO BE ISSUED BEFORE YEAR END, MR SIU SAID.
A THOROUGH REVIEW OF EXISTING TELECOMMUNICATIONS LEGISLATION LEADING TO A NEW TELECOMMUNICATIONS ORDINANCE TO GOVERN THE POST-1995 COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT WAS THE THIRD, HE SAID.
THE LAST, BUT BY NO MEANS LEAST, WAS THE PREPARATION AND ISSUE OF A COMPREHENSIVE POLICY STATEMENT TO ESTABLISH A REFERENCE FRAMEWORK FOR THE INDUSTRY OVER THE YEARS AHEAD, HE SAID.
TURNING TO THE FACTORS ON WHICH THE DECISION TO SET UP THE OFTA WERE BASED, MR SIU SAID THERE WAS THE NEED FOR A STRONG WELL-RESOURCED REGULATORY BODY TO ENSURE EVEN-HANDED AND EQUITABLE REGULATION OF THE NEWLY COMPETITIVE MARKET PLACE.
"THE
"
OF
REGULATOR MUST BE AND BE SEEN TO BE FULLY INDEPENDENT THE OPERATORS IT REGULATES, MR SIU SAID, ADDING THAT THE REGULATORY BODY, WHILE REMAINING AS A GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT SHOULD HAVE A REASONABLE DEGREE OF AUTONOMY FROM CENTRAL GOVERNMENT," HE SAID.
/MOREOVER, IT