XN000022-1982-02-24 — Page 10

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1982

ROUTE 6 ($10 MILLION) IS FROM THE INTERCHANGE NORTH OF ME! FOO SUN CHUEN VIA CASTLE PEAK ROAD THROUGH TSUEN WAN TO JOIN ROUTE 2 AT THE EASTERN END OF THE TUEN MUN HIGHWAY.

ROUTE 7 ($15 MILLION), IS FROM ABERDEEN WESTWARDS VIA

KELLETT BAY, TELEGRAPH BAY AND SANDY BAY TO JOIN CONNAUGHT ROAD AT THE WESTERN RECLAMATION, AND THEN VIA CONNAUGHT ROAD, HARCOURT ROAD AND GLOUCESTER ROAD TO VICTORIA PARK.

THE $15 MILLION PROVISION FOR 1982-83 WOULD BE MAINLY FOR THE INVESTIGATION AND DETAILED DESIGN OF THE ELEVATED ROAD ALONG CONNAUGHT ROAD AND THE FEASIBILITY STUDY AND PRELIMINARY DESIGN OF THE ROAD FROM KENNEDY TOWN TO ABERDEEN,

ROUTE 8 ($345 MILLION), IS FROM VICTORIA PARK TO CHAI WAN VIA THE HONG KONG ISLAND EASTERN CORRIDOR NOW UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

MR BREMRIDGE SAID ANOTHER $551 MILLION WOULD BE NEEDED FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO SECONDARY ROUTES, MISCELLANEOUS MINOR ROADWORKS AND ROADS WITHIN NEW TOWN LAYOUTS.

HE SAID THE AREA TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM DESIGNED TO INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF EXISTING ROADS BY IMPROVING TRAFFIC FLOW WAS ALREADY OPERATING SUCCESSFULLY IN WEST KOWLOON AND WAS BEING EXTENDED TO COVER EAST KOWLOON AND THE NORTHERN PART OF HONG KONG ISLAND.

PUBLIC EXPENDITURE MUST KEEP PACE WITH GDP

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FS

THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, THE HON JOHN BREMRIDGE, TODAY UNDERLINED THE NEED FOR FIRM BUT SENSITIVE RESTRAINT OF THE GROWTH OF PUBLIC EXPENDITURE.

MERELY THROWING MONEY AT PROBLEMS SOLVES NOTHING IN THE LONG RUN HE SAID, STRESSING THAT IN THE FUTURE HONG KONG SHOULD TRY TO KEEP THE GROWTH RATE IN PUBLIC SPENDING DOWN TO THAT OF THE GDP.

FOR THE COMING YEAR, MR BREMRIDGE HAS BUDGETTED FOR A 10.7 PER CENT INCREASE IN REAL TERMS IN PUBLIC SECTOR EXPENDITURE.

THE TOTAL EXPENDITURE ON CONSOLIDATED ACCOUNT FOR THE NEW FISCAL YEAR WILL BE NO LESS THAN $37.7 BILLION, AN INCREASE IN MONEY TERMS OF $6.8 BILLION, OR 22 PER CENT OVER THE REVISED ESTIMATE FOR 1981-82.

HE SAID THE GROWTH RATE OF 10.7 PER CENT ENVISAGED FOR 1982-83 THOUGH LARGE, REPRESENTED A SIGNIFICANT SLOWING DOWN IN THE GROWTH RATE OF THE PUBLIC SECTOR.

/+THIS IS STILL

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