XN000022-1987-01-26 — Page 5

MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 1987

MR ROBERTS DESCRIBED +THE SCALE AND COMPLEXITY OF SOME OF THE MAJOR CIVIL ENGINEERING WORKS IN HONG KONG AS UNPRECEDENTED AND WITHOUT EQUAL ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD, WITH THE POSSIBLE EXCEPTION OF SOME PROJECTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST.+

HE ALSO PRAISED THE LOCAL CONTRACTORS' ABILITY TO MEET TIGHT COMPLETION DEADLINES.

MR MCKENZIE SAID THE PROJECTS ARE CLEAR-CUT EVIDENCE OF BUSINESS CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG WELL INTO THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.+

SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WHO MET OR BRIEFED THE VISITORS INCLUDED THE DIRECTOR OF HIGHWAYS, MR HAROLD BEATON: THE DIRECTOR OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, DR. K. F. NIP THE DIRECTOR OF TERRITORY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, MR K. KWOK; THE DIRECTOR OF WATER SUPPLIES, MR T. H. TOMLINSON; THE SENIOR HIGHWAYS ENGINEER-CONSULTANT MANAGEMENT, MR K. WESTMORELAND, AND OTHER SENIOR ENGINEERS.

THEY ALSO MET THE FORMER SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS, MR NICKY CHAN, WHO IS ALSO THE ICE HONG KONG REPRESENTATIVE.

THE ICE HAS 72 000 MEMBERS

IN 146 COUNTRIES.

-

OF WHOM 3 500 ARE IN HONG KONG

THE VISITORS WILL MEET MEMBERS OF THE ICE'S HONG KONG ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND PAY A COURTESY CALL ON THE SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS, MR GRAHAM BARNES, TOMORROW.

CONSUMER PRICE INDEXES FOR DECEMBER *****

THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT TODAY PUBLISHED THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEXES FOR DECEMBER 1986. THE NEW CPI(A) AND NEW CPI(B) (OCTOBER 84/SEPTEMBER 85 = 100) FOR DECEMBER 1986 WERE 105.1 AND 105.6 RESPECTIVELY, REPRESENTING INCREASES OF 3.8 PER CENT AND 4.0 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY OVER DECEMBER 1985.

MIND THAT THIS THE NEW CPI(A)

COMPARED WITH NOVEMBER 1986 AND BEARING IN COMPARISON MAY BE AFFECTED BY SEASONAL FACTORS, AND NEW CPI(B) BOTH INCREASED BY 0.1 PER CENT. THE AVERAGE NEW CPI(A) AND AVERAGE NEW CPI (B) FOR 1986 WERE RESPECTIVELY.

103.7 AND 104.0

/THE 1979-80-BASED