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In addition to market liberalisation undertakings, the majority of participants to the negotiations, including Hong Kong, have committed to observe a common set of regulatory principles to ensure fair competition among all suppliers of telecom services.
The basic telecoms negotiations were originally scheduled to end last April. To allow more time for further consultations on outstanding issues, participants agreed to set a new deadline of February 15, 1997. Participants were also allowed to make adjustments to their commitments made last April during a one-month period between January 15 and February 15, 1997.
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Treasury Secretary to make duty visit to New Zealand
The Secretary for Treasury, Mr K C Kwong, will depart for New Zealand this (Sunday) evening for a duty visit to study the country's public sector reform programme.
He will lead a high-level delegation, comprising the Director of Accounting Services, Mr Brian Dagnall, the Deputy Secretary for the Civil Services, Mr Patrick Lau, and the Deputy Head of the Efficiency Unit, Mr Joseph Lai. They will stay in Wellington from February 18 to 21.
During the four-day visit, Mr Kwong and his delegation will hold meetings with the New Zealand Minister of Finance, the Rt. Hon W. F. Birch, senior government officials as well as chief executives of the country's major public utilities to exchange views and experience on their public sector reforms.
Mr Kwong will return to Hong Kong on Sunday (February 23) evening.
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