48
Under the agreement reached between the Shenzhen People's Municipal Government and the Hong Kong Government, each side is required to appoint an operator who in turn should form a joint-venture company to operate the shuttle bus service. On our part, following a tender exercise, we appointed the Kowloon Motor Bus Co Ltd in June 95. Negotiations between KMB and the bus company selected by the Shenzhen side took time and a joint-venture company was formed on 26 January 1996. The shuttle service will commence once certain formalities, such as those in relation to travel documents to be issued to the Chinese drivers, have been completed.
The Joint Working Group on Cross-border Transport Services deals with all cross border transport issues. There is almost daily contact between the border liaison officers on operational matters. Apart from this, we meet with our Shenzhen counterparts on a quarterly basis and the relevant Guangdong provincial authorities on a six-monthly basis. The time required for reaching agreement on specific projects very much depend on the subject matter.
End
Price movements of diesel oil for vehicles
Following is a question by the Hon Miriam Lau and a written reply by the Secretary for Economic Services, Mr Gordon Siu, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):
Question:
In the last two years, the average import price of light diesel oil stood at about $1.1 per litre, whereas the retail price of vehicle diesel oil has risen from $5.31 per litre in January 1991 to $6.32 per litre in February this year. In view of this, will the Government inform this Council:
(a)
whether it has information showing the reasons for the big rise in the retail price of vehicle diesel oil; and
(b)
how it has monitored the extent of each price rise for petroleum products so as to prevent oil companies from setting prices at unreasonable levels?