XN000022-1990-05-31 — Page 3

2

THURSDAY, MAY 31, 1990

"THESE REQUIREMENTS SET AGAINST THE VERY TIGHT TIME-FRAME WHICH WE HAVE SET OURSELVES, POINTS TO THE NEED FOR THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE AND DEDICATION OF RESOURCES PLUS BOLD, TIMELY AND INNOVATIVE ACTION TO ENSURE SUCCESS," SHE SAID.

SECTOR

SHE ADDED THAT THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE SCOPE FOR PRIVATE INVOLVEMENT IN THE WHOLE OF THE AIRPORT AND ITS RELATED WORKS PROJECTS AND THERE HAD ALREADY BEEN A VERY HIGH LEVEL OF INTERNATIONAL INTEREST SHOWN,

"WE EXPECT THAT BETWEEN 40 TO 60 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL COST OF IMPLEMENTING OUR PLANS WILL COME FROM PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION AND FUNDING.

IN

"THE CLOSURE OF ΚΑΙ TAK AND THE ASSOCIATED LIFTING OF RESTRICTIONS ON DEVELOPMENTS IN THE FLIGHT PATH LEADING TO IT WILL THE LONGER TERM GENERATE CONSIDERABLE ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, SHE SAID.

Г

SAYING THAT THE NEW AIRPORT PROGRAMME WOULD PUT PRESSURE ON THE CAPACITY OF THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, ESPECIALLY DURING THE YEARS 1992 TO 1996 WHEN CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY WOULD BE AT ITS PEAK, MISS CHUNG SAID IT SHOULD BE KEPT IN MIND THAT THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY HAD MET CHALLENGES IN THE PAST BY UPGRADING ITSELF AND BY THE ENTRY OF NEW FIRMS AND ADOPTION OF NEW TECHNOLOGY.

"THE MAJOR WORK INVOLVED, AT LEAST INITIALLY, TENDS то BE CAPITAL-INTENSIVE AND ALLOWS GREATER SCOPE FOR UTILISING MAJOR EQUIPMENT AND FOR HIGHER LABOUR PRODUCTIVITY.

"FOR SOME TIME NOW, GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN ACUTELY AWARE OF THE LIMITATIONS OF THE EXISTING SCHEME FOR THE IMPORTATION OF LABOUR. WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITHIN CERTAIN PARAMETERS ON NEW SCHEMES WHICH WERE ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY.

"I HOPE THESE NEW SCHEMES AND THE ABOLITION OF CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS WILL GO SOME WAY TO PROVIDE RELIEF ΤΟ THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, IN PARTICULAR, THOSE BIDDING FOR THE NEW AIRPORT AND PROJECTS,' SHE SAID.

PEOPLE.

"

"BUT HONG KONG'S MOST VALUABLE RESOURCE HAS

PORT

ALWAYS BEEN ITS

"AND IT IS THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WHO WILL ENSURE THAT THE NEW AIRPORT WILL BE BUILT AND WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM HAVING A STATE-OF- THE-ART FACILITY WHICH WILL ENSURE THEIR PROSPERITY WELL INTO THE NEXT CENTURY, MISS CHUNG ADDED.

++

0

/3