XN000022-1988-10-13 — Page 3

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1988

THE

ON THE ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS OF BUILDING AN EXPO

THE TOTAL COST OF GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID, "IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THE PROJECT INCLUDING LAND FORMATION, CONSTRUCTION, INFRASTRUCTURAL OF SEVEN AND SERVICE SUPPORT INCLUDING HOTELS WOULD BE IN THE REGION BILLION HONG KONG DOLLARS.

"THIS EXPENDITURE COULD PUT CONSIDERABLE STRAIN ON SPECIFIC SECTORS OF THE ECONOMY SUCH AS

AND THE BUILDING, CONSTRUCTION SERVICES INDUSTRIES, ESPECIALLY IF THE ECONOMY WERE ALREADY CLOSE TO FULL EMPLOYMENT.

OPERATING

AT THE TIME, THE EXTRA

CAPACITY "EVEN IF THERE WERE SPARE SPENDING COULD BE MORE USEFULLY EMPLOYED TO PROVIDE INFRASTRUCTURE GEARED TO HONG KONG'S LONG TERM NEEDS.

THE

CONSULTANTS,

THE

EXPO

BY AS FOR THE POSSIBLE SITES SUGGESTED SPOKESMAN SAID THERE WERE INSURMOUNTABLE DIFFICULTIES IN FITTING

THE DEVELOPMENT INTO

PROGRAMMES FOR CENTRAL OR WEST KOWLOON

RECLAMATIONS.

HE

THE SAID

MAIN PLANNED PERMANENT USES

THE OF

CENTRAL RECLAMATION WOULD BE THE SALE OF COMMERCIAL LAND SITES FOR WHICH THERE WOULD BE VIRTUALLY NO OTHER SOURCES.

то BE

"IN WEST KOWLOON, MAJOR ROAD PROJECTS AND IMPROVEMENTS TO LIVING CONDITIONS IN ADJACENT DENSELY CROWDED AREAS WOULD HAVE POSTPONED.

"IN NEITHER OF THESE AREAS WOULD THE TRANSPORT SYSTEM BEING PLANNED BE ABLE TO COPE WITH THE HEAVY INCREASE IN TRAFFIC GENERATED BY AN EXPO, HE SAID.

NECESSARY TO IN ORDER

PROJECT

BE AS FOR JUNK BAY, THE SPOKESMAN SAID IT WOULD BRING FORWARD THE TIMING OF THE ENTIRE RECLAMATION TO MAKE AVAILABLE AN EXPO SITE.

"THIS WOULD MEAN BRINGING FORWARD THE WHOLE

OF THE JUNK BAY PUBLIC PHASE II DEVELOPMENT INCLUDING AN MTR LINK, LAND FORMATION AND HOUSING.

"THE EXPO WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT THE MTR AND THE MTR

UNLESS WOULD NOT BE VIABLE

THERE IS A SUBSTANTIAL POPULATION IN RESIDENCE IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE EXPO.

ACHIEVE THIS RESCHEDULING

"THE COSTS OF A CRASH PROGRAMME TO WOULD BE VERY LARGE AND IN ORDER TO FIT IT INTO THE PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME, OTHER ITEMS WITH A CONSIDERABLY

HIGHER PRIORITY SUCH ROADS AND SEWAGE PROGRAMMES WOULD HAVE TO BE DEFERRED, HE SAID.

柙

AS

/THE SPOKESMAN