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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1993
GOVERNOR:
WELL, CAN I SUGGEST THAT PERHAPS THE BEST WAY OF YOU AND I PURSUING THIS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT SUBJECT IS FOR YOU TO GIVE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS TO ONE OF THE STEWARDS AND WE WILL GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU ABOUT WHAT IS AN IMPORTANT, BUT RATHER TECHNICAL LEGAL POINT. YOU OBVIOUSLY FEEL VERY STRONGLY ABOUT IT AND YOU ARE OBVIOUSLY VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT IT BUT I THINK PROBABLY THE BEST THING FOR US TO DO WOULD BE
TO PROCEED IN THAT WAY SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A PROPER EXCHANGE SO THAT I CAN SEND YOU A FULL DESCRIPTION OF THE GOVERNMENT'S POSITION AND ENSURE THAT YOUR POINT OF VIEW IS REVIEWED WHEN WE AT THE LANDS ORDINANCE.
QUESTION (THROUGH INTERPRETER): AND ONE SHORT.
GOVERNOR:
QUESTIONER:
NOT TOO LONG I HOPE.
LOOK
I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS, ONE LONG
PARAGRAPH 14 OF YOUR POLICY ADDRESS IS ABOUT CONSUMERS RIGHTS. WHEN WE THINK ABOUT CONSUMERS' RIGHTS WE WILL THINK ABOUT THE BAD ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES WE HAVE BOUGHT AND THE BAD SERVICES WE HAVE GOT. MR GOVERNOR, DO YOU KNOW THAT THE BIGGEST SALE IN HONG KONG 19 THE SALE OF FLATS AND A LOT OF SMALL FLAT OWNERS ARE TREATED UNFAIRLY. FOR ONE TO BUY AN ELECTRIC COOKER HE ONLY HAS TO SPEND A FEW HUNDRED DOLLARS, BUT TO BUY A FLAT IT WILL COST HIM MILLIONS. SO I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE YOU SOME PRACTICAL OPINION IN THIS RESPECT. NOW WHEN THE SMALL OWNERS BUY THE UNCOMPLETED FLATS FROM THE DEVELOPER THEY HAVE TO GO TO THE LAWYER DESIGNATED BY THESE DEVELOPERS. THEY HAVE NO CHOICE, THE CONSUMER HAS NO CHOICE. AND THE MOST UNFAIR THING ABOUT THIS IS THAT THE SMALL OWNERS HAVE TO SHOULDER ALL THE LEGAL COSTS BUT NOT THE DEVELOPERS. DO YOU KNOW THIS? IN THE SECONDARY MARKET THE VENDOR AND THE PURCHASER, THEY ALL HAVE TO SHARE THE LEGAL COST BUT WHEN THEY BUY UNCOMPLETED FLATS FROM THE DEVELOPER THE CONSUMER HAS ΤΟ PAY EVERYTHING SO THIS IS AN UNFAIR DEAL. AND THE SECOND UNFAIR ASPECT IS THAT THE PUBLIC COVENANT OF THE FLAT ARE ALL FOR THE INTERESTS OF THE DEVELOPERS. THE SMALL OWNERS HAVE LITTLE CHOICE BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO BUY THEIR FLAT, AND THEY HAVE TO SIGN THESE UNFAIR CONTRACTS. THIS UNFAIR PUBLIC COVENANTS WILL LEAD TO A LOT OF PROBLEMS WHICH MAY ARISE IN THE FUTURE. IN THESE PUBLIC COVENANTS THE CONSUMERS HAVE ΤΟ USE THE MANAGEMENT COMPANIES, THE INSURANCE COMPANIES AND SOMETIMES THE FINANCIAL COMPANIES AS DESIGNATED BY THE DEVELOPER. THEY HAVE NO CHOICE AT ALL. WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT PROTECTION OF CONSUMERS' RIGHTS AND YOU ARE REFERRING JUST TO ELECTRICAL COOKERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, I DON'T THINK YOU ARE DOING ENOUGH.
SO I THINK YOU SHOULD HAVE A GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT TO LAY DOWN GUIDANCE FOR HOW TO WRITE UP THESE MUTUAL COVENANTS. ALL THE PROVISIONS WHICH ARE UNFAIR TO CONSUMERS SHOULD BE DONE AWAY WITH. THANK YOU.
/GOVERNOR: