XN000022-1988-11-01 — Page 2

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1988

PROPOSAL FOR EXPO IN 1997 NOT TO BE PURSUED

A

TODAY

HAVING CAREFULLY CONSIDERED ALL THE IMPLICATIONS OF HOLDING WORLD EXPOSITION IN HONG KONG IN 1997, THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL (TUESDAY) DECIDED THAT THE PROPOSAL SHOULD NOT BE PURSUED.

IN REACHING THIS DECISION, THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL TOOK FULL ACCOUNT OF THE VIEWS EXPRESSED DURING THE LEGCO DEBATE HELD ON OCTOBER 20, AND IN VARIOUS DISTRICT BOARD MEETINGS, AS WELL AS PUBLIC AND MEDIA REACTIONS.

THE COUNCIL NOTED THAT MANY DIFFERENT VIEWS WERK EXPRESSED IN ALL THE FORUMS IN WHICH THE SUBJECT WAS DISCUSSED.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY THAT THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL WELCOMED THE INITIATIVE AND ENTHUSIASM OF THOSE CONCERNED IN BRINGING FORWARD SUCH AN IMAGINATIVE PROPOSAL.

**THE PROPOSAL HAS GENERATED CONSIDERABLE INTEREST IN THE COMMUNITY AND CARRIES WITH IT MANY POSITIVE FEATURES.

"THESE INCLUDE PROVIDING AN OPPORTUNITY ΤΟ FOCUS WORLD

IN ITS ATTENTION ON HONG KONG AT A SIGNIFICANT MOMENT

HISTORY, AND PROJECTING HONG KONG AS A DYNAMIC, PROSPEROUS, AND EFFICIENT CITY, HE SAID.

++

EXPRESSED HOWEVER, THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT RESERVATIONS

PROPOSAL, INCLUDING EARLIER OVER THE

WHETHER RESOURCES SHOULD BE BECOME A TRULY DIVERTED FROM ESSENTIAL PROJECTS, WHETHER EXPO COULD

WELL AS INTERNATIONAL EVENT GIVEN THE CONSTRAINTS OF THE AIRPORT, AS THE FINANCIAL VIABILITY OF THE PROJECT, STILL REMAINED VALID.

"ESTIMATED RESOURCES LIKELY TO BE AVAILABLE UP TO THE YEAR A 1997-98 WOULD BE OUTSTRIPPED BY ESTIMATED REQUIREMENTS FOR ONGOING WELL AS NEW CAPITAL INFRASTRUCTURAL PROJECTS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

NUMBER

H

ON DIVERSION OF RESOURCES, THE SPOKESMAN SAID HỒNG KONG

A WOULD BE COMMITTED TO

OF MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURAL PROJECTS OF LONG-LASTING BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY WHICH WOULD BE MID-NINETIES.

IN THE

HONG -KONG THIS

PUBLIC SECTOR. BY INVOLVING THE TOTAL CONSTRUCTION TWICE THE PRESENT

"THE ESTIMATED EXPENDITURE ON CONSTRUCTION IN YEAR IS $37 BILLION, OF WHICH $11.5 BILLION IS IN THE EVEN IF DIRECT PUBLIC EXPENDITURE COULD BE REDUCED

THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN SOME OF THE NEW PROJECTS, WORKLOAD FOR PUBLIC SECTOR PROJECTS WOULD STILL BE WORKLOAD IN 1993-94, 1994-95 AND IN 1995-96.

"IF AN EXPO WERE TO CRITICAL YEARS WHEN MOST CARRIED OUT.

1997, THESE WOULD BE THE

WOULD RELATED WORKS

OF

BE HELD IN

THE

HAVE

то BE

"THE STRAIN