ON SUNDAYS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1993
* 19.9 PER CENT WOULD PAY 10 TO 50 CENTS MORE;
*
54 PER CENT 60 TO $1.0 MORE;
*
24.2 PER CENT $1.1 TO $1.5 MORE; AND
1.9 PER CENT $1.6 TO $2.0 MORE.
DETAILS OF THE NEW FARE STRUCTURE WILL BE GAZETTED ON FRIDAY (SEPTEMBER 10).
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STANDARD AND POOR'S HK CREDIT RATING
A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN TODAY (WEDNESDAY) WELCOMED STANDARD AND POOR'S ANNOUNCEMENT THAT IT HAD AFFIRMED HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S IMPLIED SINGLE-A LONG-TERM CREDIT RATING.
"THIS HAS REMOVED THE UNCERTAINTY CAUSED BY THE AGENCY PLACING HONG KONG ON CREDITWATCH IN DECEMBER LAST YEAR," HE SAID.
THE SPOKESMAN ADDED THAT ALTHOUGH STANDARD AND POOR'S RATINGS OUTLOOK FOR HONG KONG WAS STILL NEGATIVE, HE WAS GLAD THAT THE CREDITWATCH HAD BEEN REMOVED, THUS IMPLYING A MORE STABLE SITUATION,
"THE COST OF BORROWING FOR HONG KONG COMPANIES COULD BR SOMEWHAT LOWER AS A RESULT, HE SAID.
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THAT
THE SPOKESMAN AGREED WITH STANDARD AND POOR'S OBSERVATION ANY DELAYS IN THE NEW AIRPORT PROGRAMME WOULD AFFECT HONG KONG'S ECONOMIC GROWTH POTENTIAL.
BUT HE POINTED OUT THAT THERE HAD BEEN PROGRESS IN TALKS ON THE AIRPORT, AS REFLECTED IN CHINA'S RECENT CONSENT TO TWO MAJOR AIRPORT- RELATED PROJECTS.
"ALTHOUGH WE WOULD HAVE LIKED TO SEE A FASTER RATE OF PROGRESS, WE REMAIN OPTIMISTIC THAT AN AGREEMENT CAN BE REACHED ON THE OVERALL AIRPORT FINANCING PLAN, HE SAID.
申申
THE SPOKESMAN WELCOMED STANDARD AND POOR'S RECOGNITION THAT HONG KONG'S RATINGS WERE SUPPORTED BY ITS STRONG NET INTERNATIONAL CREDITOR POSITION, ITS DYNAMIC ECONOMY, THE AUTONOMY PROVIDED BY THE
BASIC LAW, AND CHINA'S ECONOMIC SELF-INTEREST IN PRESERVING HONG
KONG'S VITALITY.
"WE ALSO WELCOME STANDARD AND POOR'S CONFIRMATION THAT HONG KONG'S CREDITWORTHINESS COULD CONTINUE TO BE ASSESSED SEPARATELY FROM THAT OF CHINA AFTER 1997," HE SAID.
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