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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 1993
THIRD UNIVERSITY HELPS SUSTAIN ECONOMIC GROWTH
INVESTING IN THE FUTURE CAN BE AN EXPENSIVE BUSINESS BUT HONG KONG NEEDS INSTITUTIONS LIKE THE UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IF IT IS TO REMAIN A PROSPEROUS AND DYNAMIC COMMUNITY.
IN
THIS WAS STATED BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY, THE HON SIR DAVID FORD AS HE TABLED BEFORE THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THE GOVERNMENT MINUTE RESPONSE TO A PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE'S REPORT ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE UNIVERSITY.
CHANGES,
"HONG KONG'S ECONOMY IS UNDERGOING MAJOR STRUCTURAL WITH A CONTINUING SHIFT FROM ASSEMBLY MANUFACTURING TO THE KNOWLEDGE- INTENSIVE INDUSTRIES AND HIGH VALUE-ADDED PRODUCTION.
IS
"BECAUSE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, HONG KONG NOW BETTER EQUIPPED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THESE CHANGES, AND TO SUSTAIN ITS ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THE 1990'S AND BEYOND," HE SAID.
SIR DAVID SAID THE ADMINISTRATION HAD LEARNT SOME LESSONS THE PROJECT AND IT WAS GRATEFUL TO THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE.
FROM
BUT, HE SAID NOTHING SHOULD DETRACT FROM
FROM WHAT HAD BEEN ACHIEVED; A MODERN, HIGH-TECHNOLOGY AND RESEARCH-ORIENTATED UNIVERSITY, COMPLETED THREE YEARS EARLIER THAN ORIGINALLY PLANNED, AND WITHIN A BUDGET APPROVED BY THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.
THE UNIVERSITY IS ALSO STAFFED BY SOME OF THE BEST MINDS IN ASIA, AND WHICH WILL BENEFIT HONG KONG FOR MANY YEARS TO COME.
ACCEPTING THE COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATIONS, SIR DAVID SAID: 'IN PARTICULAR, WE AGREE THAT THERE IS A NEED TO ENSURE TIGHTER CONTROL OF JOINT PROJECTS UNDERTAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT AND OUTSIDE
ORGANISATIONS."
BUT,
IN THE CASE OF THE NEW UNIVERSITY, IT WAS ACCEPTED THAT SOME FLEXIBILITIES IN THE NORMAL SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT CONTROL WAS NECESSARY IF IT WAS TO BE COMPLETED IN TIME TO ADMIT ITS FIRST STUDENTS IN 1991.
"IT WAS THE CONSCIOUS DECISION OF ALL CONCERNED, INCLUDING THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, THAT THE PROJECT SHOULD BE ENTRUSTED TO THE JOCKEY CLUB TO ENSURE ITS SPEEDY COMPLETION.
"A MUCH GREATER DEGREE OF CONTROL WOULD HAVE BREN POSSIBLE IF THE PROJECT HAD BEEN CONSTRUCTED IN THE NORMAL WAY THROUGH THE PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME."
BEEN
SAID.
BUT IN THAT CASE IT IS UNLIKELY THAT THE PROJECT COULD HAVE COMPLETED ON TIME, HE SAID.
"THAT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN IN HONG KONG'S INTERESTS, SIR DAVID
ON THE CONCERN OVER THE INCREASE IN THE ESTIMATE FOR THE PROJECT, HE SAID THIS WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN AN ISSUE IF THE ORIGINAL ESTIMATE APPROVED BY THE FINANCE COMMITTEE IN MAY 1999 HAD BEEN PREPARED ON THE BASIS OF A DETAILED DESIGN.
/"BUT IT