XN000022-1984-11-07 — Page 4

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1984

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$3.8 BILLION FOR NEW PUBLIC WORKS

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THE SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS, MR NICKY CHAN, SAID TODAY THAT $3.8 BILLION WORTH OF NEW PROJECTS WERE EXPECTED TO BE INJECTED INTO THE PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME IN THE NEXT FINANCIAL YEAR.

THIS WOULD REPRESENT AN INCREASE OF $200 MILLION OVER THIS FINANCIAL YEAR AND $500 MILLION OVER 1983-84.

SPEAKING IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEETING, MR CHAN SAID THE AMOUNT EXPECTED TO BE SPENT ON NEW PROJECTS EXCLUDED HOUSING AUTHOR ITY'S EXPENDITURE ON THE PUBLIC HOUSING PROGRAMME AND ABOUT $1 BILLION SPENT EACH YEAR ON LAND ACQUISITION.

IN ADDITION, HE CONTINUED, THE ANNUAL EXPENDITURE FROM CAPITAL WAS RUNNING WORKS RESERVE FUND - EXCLUDING THAT ON PUBLIC HOUSING AT BETWEEN $6 AND $6.5 BILLION.

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HE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT MORE WORK FOR THE MONEY SPENT WAS OBTAINED BECAUSE OF LOWER CONTRACT PRICES.

+HOWEVER, IMPRESSIVE THOUGH THE FIGURES MAY BE, MERELY TO STATE THEM DOES NOT SUFFICIENTLY GIVE A TRUE SENSE OF THE SCOPE OF THE ACHIEVEMENT WHICH THE PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME, YEAR IN YEAR OUT, REPRESENTS, HE SAID,

THERE WAS CONTINUOUS LAND DEVELOPMENT ON AN EXTENSIVE SCALE, WITH SITE FORMATION AND HIGHWAYS PROJECTS IN PROGRESS ALL THE TIME. THIS, AND THE STEADY STREAM OF NEW HOUSING ESTATES, COURT AND OFFICE BUILDINGS, CULTURAL, RECREATIONAL AND SPORTING FACILITIES, HOSPITALS, SCHOOLS AND MARKET PROJECTS, SEWAGE TREATMENT WORKS AND WATER SUPPLY AND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS, ALL CONTRIBUTED TO THE IMPRESSION VISITORS TO HONG KONG COULD NOT FAIL TO GAIN THAT HONG KONG WAS FULLY COMMITTED TO, AND ENERGETICALLY ENGAGED IN DEVELOPMENT, HE SAID,

+AND, AS THE SIZE OF THE PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME INDICATES, THIS LEVEL OF CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY WILL CONTINUE IN THE YEARS AHEAD,+ HE SAID.

REFERRING TO THE NEW TOWNS PROGRAMMES, MR CHAN SAID: +THERE IS NO INTENTION TO STOP THESE VITAL PROGRAMMES SHORT OF COMPLETION IN FAVOUR OF SOME OTHER SCHEME. THE ESSENCE WILL BE IN BLENDING THE COMMENCEMENT OF OUR NEW PROGRAMMES FOR THE 1990'S WITH OUR CURRENT ONES SO THAT STEADY PROGRESS AND AN EVEN INVESTMENT PATTERN ARE MAINTAINED.

+AS FAR AS POST-NEW TOWN PROGRAMMES ARE CONCERNED, WE ARE NOW IN THE PROCESS OF DRAWING UP BRIEFS FOR PLANNING AND ENGINEERING FEASIBILITY STUDIES OF THE HARBOUR AREA TO FOLLOW UP THE INITIAL RESULTS OF OUR LONG TERM DEVELOPMENT STUDIES. ONCE THESE AND THE CURRENT PORT DEVELOPMENT STUDY ARE COMPLETED IN 1985 WE SHALL BEGIN TO OUTLINE PROGRAMMES FOR IMPLEMENTATION. +

/HE SAID