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THURSDAY, JULY 15, 1993
GOVERNOR: THE HONOURABLE MEMBER IS ENTIRELY RIGHT BOTH ABOUT THE NEED TO PUT THE CASE ACROSS AND ABOUT ITS RELATIONSHIP TO SOME OF OUR PROPER ATTEMPTS AT SELF-PROMOTION, NOT LEAST AN AREA WHICH THE HONOURABLE MEMBER KNOWS MORE ABOUT THAN ANY OF US, ΝΟΤ LEAST IN RELATION TO TOURISM. WHEN ONE READS AT THIS TIME OF YEAR, SOME OF THE STORIES OF ATTACKS, MURDERS OF TOURISTS IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD, NOT LEAST, OF COURSE, IN THE UNITED STATES, IT DOES MAKE ONE REALISE HOW MUCH WE HAVE TO OFFER TOURISTS. ALL OF US, I GUESS, WHO HAVE HAD THE EXPERIENCE OF BRINGING UP TEENAGE CHILDREN IN HONG KONG AND OUTSIDE HONG KONG WILL KNOW HOW MUCH SAFER WE FEEL THEY ARE IN HONG KONG THAN MOST OTHER PLACES THAT WE'VE EVER LIVED.
IT'S AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO GET ACROSS. I THINK WE SHOULD LOOK AT WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN SPREAD THAT MESSAGE THROUGH OUR INFORMATION EFFORT ABROAD, AND PERHAPS SHOULD WORK MORE CLOSELY WITH THE TOURIST AUTHORITY IN GETTING ACROSS THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT HONG KONG WHICH, 1 REPEAT, IS ONE OF THE VERY FEW PLACES ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, WHICH CAN ACTUALLY POINT, WITHOUT ANY COMPLACENCY AT ALL, TO A FALLING LEVEL OF CRIME.
SO
PRESIDENT: IN ACCORDANCE WITH STANDING ORDERS, I NOW ADJOURN THE SITTING UNTIL WEDNESDAY 21ST JULY 1993.
NEW SCHEME OF CONTROL AGREEMENT FOR HEC
THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND THE HONGKONG ELECTRIC COMPANY LIMITED (HEC) AND ITS PARENT COMPANY HONGKONG ELECTRIC HOLDINGS LIMITED TODAY (THURSDAY) SIGNED A NEW SCHEME OF CONTROL AGREEMENT (SCA) WHICH SETS OUT THE OBLIGATIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF BOTH SIDES.
FOR
TAKING PART IN THE SIGNING CEREMONY WERE THE SECRETARY ECONOMIC SERVICES, MR GORDON STU AND THE CHAIRMAN OF THE HONGKONG ELECTRIC COMPANY LIMITED, MR SIMON MURRAY.
MR SIU SAID THE NEW AGREEMENT, WHICH WILL START IN JANUARY 1994 AND EXTEND UNTIL THE END OF DECEMBER 2008, DEMONSTRATED THE CONTINUING COMMITMENT OF THE COMPANIES TO A PROSPEROUS FUTURE FOR HONG KONG.
IT ALSO PROVIDED A SOUND BASIS FOR FUTURE CO-OPERATION THE GOVERNMENT AND THE COMPANIES, HE ADDED.
BETWEEN
DISCUSSIONS ON RENEWAL OF THE CURRENT SCHEME OF CONTROL AGREEMENT, WHICH LAPSES AT THE END OF DECEMBER 1993, BEGAN LAST YEAR.
"THE CURRENT SCHEME OF CONTROL AGREEMENT HAS WORKED WELL," MR SIU SAID.
HE POINTED OUT THAT UNDER THE CURRENT SCA, HEC'S CONSUMERS ENJOY ONE OF THE MOST RELIABLE ELECTRICITY SUPPLIES IN THE REGION, WHILE TARIFFS HAVE REDUCED BY AROUND 40 PER CENT IN REAL TERMS OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS.
"THE COMPANIES HAVE INVESTED OVER $22 BILLION IN ASSETS DURING THE COURSE OF THE CURRENT SCA," MR SIU ADDED.
/HE ALSO