XN000022-1983-10-05 — Page 16

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1983

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NETWORK OF HELICOPTER LANDING SITES TO SERVICE DOMESTIC FLIGHTS WAS ALSO BEING CONSIDERED, HE SAID,

ON PORT FACILITIES, SIR EDWARD SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD RECENTLY COMPLETED NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE KWAI CHUNG CONTAINER TERMINAL OPERATORS FOR THE EXPANSION OF THE EXISTING FACILITIES THERE IN LINE WITH THE EXPECTED GROWTH IN FUTURE CONTAINER TRADE.

HE SAID THAT THE FIRST STAGE OF THE EXPANSION, INVOLVING THE RECLAMATION OF THE KWAI CHUNG CREEK, WAS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN 1987, AND SHOULD INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF THE EXISTING TERMINALS BY ABOUT 57 PER CENT,

NEGOTIATIONS WERE EXPECTED TO START SOON FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A SIXTH TERMINAL TO BE COMPLETED IN THE LATE 1980'S, HE SAID.

SIR EDWARD ALSO SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS ALSO INCREASING THE CAPACITY OF PUBLIC CARGO WORKING AREAS FOR THE HANDLING OF BREAK BULK CARGO WHICH WOULD RAISE THE CAPACITY OF THE EXISTING CARGO WORKING AREAS BY ABOUT 30 PER CENT NEXT YEAR WHEN WORKS WERE COMPLETED AT CHAI WAN AND RAMBLER CHANNEL.

+ALL THESE DEVELOPMENTS WILL YET FURTHER IMPROVE FACILITIES IN THE HARBOUR, ONE OF HONG KONG'S MOST IMPORTANT AND ENDURING ASSETS,+ HE ADDED.

POWER CHARGES AMONG LOWEST IN ASIA

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THE TOTAL PLANNED INVESTMENT OF THE TWO ELECTRICITY COMPANIES AMOUNTS TO BILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND YET THE COST OF ELECTRICITY TO THE HONG KONG CONSUMER IS AMONG THE LOWEST IN ASIA, AND IT IS STILL FALLING IN REAL TERMS, THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, SAID TODAY.

SIR EDWARD, SPEAKING ON PUBLIC UTILITIES AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, ADDED THAT THE USE OF COAL-FIRED UNITS SHOULD RESULT IN A FURTHER SIGNIFICANT SAVING TO CONSUMERS SINCE THE PRESENT COST OF COAL WAS ABOUT HALF THAT OF OIL.

HE ALSO SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD RECENTLY ENGAGED CONSULTANTS TO STUDY THE EXISTING MONITORING ARRANGEMENTS, AND TO ADVISE WHETHER THE PRESENT SCHEMES OF CONTROL ADEQUATELY SAFEGUARDED THE POSITION BOTH OF THE CONSUMERS AND OF THE POWER COMPANIES, AND WHETHER ANY IMPROVEMENTS WERE REQUIRED.

+THE CONSULTANCY STUDY SHOULD BE COMPLETED BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR,+ HE SAID.

THE GOVERNOR ALSO SAID THAT THE HONG KONG AND CHINA GAS COMPANY WOULD BY 1986 HAVE EXTENDED ITS DISTRIBUTION NETWORK TO PRACTICALLY ALL UNSERVICED AREAS IN THE MAINLAND NEW TERRITORIES.

/HE SAID