XN000022-1985-12-16 — Page 3

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MONDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1985

AS FOR HOW MUCH MONEY THE NEW OFFICE BUILDING WOULD SAVE FOR THE GOVERNMENT, SIR DAVID SAID IT MUST BE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.

+THERE MUST BE OVER THE LIFE OF THE BUILDING TREMENDOUS SAVING FOR GOVERNMENT. AND OF COURSE IT IS MUCH MORE CONVENIENT FOR THE PUBLIC TO HAVE A BUILDING IN WHICH THEY CAN FIND 10 OR 12 GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS ALL IN ONE BUILDING, SO IT IS VERY BENEFICIAL TO THE PUBLIC AND THE GOVERNMENT, HE ADDED.

DEPENDENCE ON PRIVATE OFFICE ACCOMMODATION TO DROP

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THE GOVERNMENT'S OFFICE BUILDING PROGRAMME WOULD REDUCE ITS DEPENDENCE ON LEASED PRIVATE OFFICE ACCOMMODATION, THE AVAILABILITY OF WHICH WAS NOT ALWAYS READY AND CERTAIN, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID THIS (MONDAY) MORNING.

SPEAKING AT THE TOPPING-OUT CEREMONY OF THE QUEENSWAY GOVERNMENT OFFICE, SIR DAVID SAID THAT IN THE LONG RUN SUCH DELEASING WOULD RESULT IN SUBSTANTIAL FINANCIAL SAVINGS,

THE NEW BUILDING, STANDING AT A HEIGHT OF 202 METRES ABOVE QUEENSWAY, IS THE TALLEST TO BE BUILT BY THE GOVERNMENT AND ONE OF THE HIGHEST IN HONG KONG.

IT CONSISTS OF SEVEN FLOORS OF LOW BLOCK AND A 49-STOREY HIGH BLOCK SITTING ON TOP OF A FOUR-STOREY PODIUM CAR PARK.

TO BE COMPLETED IN THREE STAGES, THE FIRST PHASE TO BE READY FOR OCCUPATION BY THE END OF THIS MONTH INCLUDES THE LOW BLOCK AND 16 FLOORS OF THE HIGH BLOCK. THIS WOULD ALLOW A USABLE FLOOR AREA OF 19 500 SQUARE METRES.

+THIS BUILDING IS PART OF THE GOVERNMENT'S DELIBERATE AND COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAMME TO PROVIDE PURPOSE-BUILT OFFICES IN CONVENIENT LOCATIONS IN VARIOUS PARTS OF HONG KONG IN PLACES AS FAR APART AS SAI KUNG, TUEN MUN AND CENTRAL, SIR DAVID SAID.

+THIS PARTICULAR BUILDING WILL ABSORB 14 DIFFERENT GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS IN AND AROUND CENTRAL.

+THIS IS A VISUAL SYMBOL OF THE GOVERNMENT'S DETERMINATION TO PROVIDE CONTINUOUS, EFFICIENT AND CLOSE-AT-HAND SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC,+ HE ADDED.

THE SECOND PHASE OF THE 56-STOREY BUILDING IS SCHEDULED TO BE COMPLETED BY MID-1986 TO GIVE AN ADDITIONAL 17 250 SQUARE METRES OF OFFICE SPACE, WHILE THE FINAL PHASE TO PROVIDE THE SAME FLOOR AREA WOULD BE READY BY THE END OF NEXT YEAR.

/THE LOW