XN000022-1988-04-09 — Page 4

SATURDAY, APRIL 9, 1988

*

DAY BEFORE THE

A

THE AMENDMENT WILL NOW PERMIT THE GOVERNOR TO CHOOSE FOR THE DISSOLUTION OF BETWEEN 30 AND 60 THIRD ANNIVERSARY OF THE LATEST ELECTION.

IN

DAYS

HIS

STATEMENT

TO

THAT

AS ANNOUNCED BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON MARCH 9, IT WAS NOW PLANNED LEGCO SHOULD DISSOLVE ON AUGUST 25, THAT THE ELECTIONS SHOULD TAKE PLACE ON SEPTEMBER 22, AND THAT LBGCO SHOULD RECONVENE ON OCTOBER 12; AND

SECONDLY, TO PROVIDE THAT ANY BILL

BEFORE THE LEGISLATIVE

COUNCIL WHEN THE COUNCIL IS DISSOLVED SHOULD LAPSE.

THIS CHANGE, WHICH BRINGS HONG KONG PRACTICE INTO LINE WITH PRACTICE ELSEWHERE, HAS BEEN MADE ON THE GROUNDS THAT IT IS UNREASONABLE TO EXPECT A NEW LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL FORMED FOLLOWING ELECTIONS TO COMPLETE THE UNFINISHED WORK OF THE OUTGOING COUNCIL.

EFFECTS OF THE 1988 U.S. GSP ON HONG KONG

CHANGES ΤΟ THE U.S.

GENERAL SYSTEM OF PREFERENCE (GSP) PROGRAMME ANNOUNCED ON APRIL 1 WILL COME INTO EFFECT FROM JULY 1 THIS YEAR.

THEY WILL BE APPLICABLE UNTIL JANUARY 1 NEXT YEAR, AFTER WHICH HONG KONG, TOGETHER WITH TAIWAN, KOREA, AND SINGAPORE, WILL BE GRADUATED FROM THE GSP AS A RESULT OF THE U.S. ADMINISTRATION'S

DECISION IN JANUARY THIS YEAR.

COMMENTING ON THE CHANGES, A TRADE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY (SATURDAY) THAT THEY AROSE FROM THE 1988 REVIEW OF THE GSP PROGRAMME.

THE REVIEW DECIDES THE ELIGIBILITY STATUS OF INDIVIDUAL PRODUCTS BASED ON 1987 TRADE DATA, MEASURED AGAINST THE COMPETITIVE NEED LEVELS SET FOR EACH PRODUCT UNDER THE PRESIDENTIAL REVIEW OF THE PROGRAMME.

ELABORATING ON THE EFFECTS OF THE NEW GSP PROGRAMME ON HONG KONG, THE SPOKESMAN SAID 14 NEW ITEMS, INCLUDING CERTAIN "TALKING DOLLS" AND FIREWORKS, HAD BEEN ADDED TO THE GSP LIST. U.S. IMPORTS THESE ITEMS FROM HONG KONG LAST YEAR AMOUNTED TO US$22.2 MILLION.

OF

/HOWEVER, HONG