XN000022-1972-03-29 — Page 31

Wednesday, March 29, 1972

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RECORD $1,200 MILLION FOR PUBLIC WORKS IN 1972/73

Look To The New Territories For Further Expansion

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The Director of Public Works, the Hon. J.J. Robson, said today

more than #1,200 million will be spent on Public Works in the coming

financial year a record by any yardstick.

"But this will be eclipsed by that of the next year when total

expenditure by the Public Works Department will probably exceed $1,500 million

on projects already approved and in the Public Works Programme," he added.

Mr. Robson was replying to questions raised by Unofficial Members

on March 15 and 16 when debate on the Budget was resumed in the Legislative

Council.

He recalled that he introduced his speech last year by explaining

that to achieve a rate of expenditure of around $1,270 million would not be

easy either for the Public Works Department or the Construction Industry.

Each year it required more staff time to spend the public works

dollar as projects were becoming progressively more difficult and expensive

to construct because of shortage of sites, rising standards and congestion

of both the Colony's roads and environment, he said.

"I was, however, hopeful that the wages and materials fluctuation

clauses introduced into Government contracts would give contractors confidence

to bid for Government contracts and that by increasing the number of contracts

under construction the delays caused by rising costs to the contractor and

shortage of labour could be overcome.

Mr. Robson.............