XN000022-1990-10-10 — Page 26

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1990

THE

ON DECISIONS

THE AUTHORITY WOULD SOON TAKE PROVISIONAL

THEN BE OVERALL LAYOUT OF THE NEW AIRPORT AND THE CONSULTANTS WOULD ABLE TO GO AHEAD WITH THEIR DETAILED DESIGN WORK.

I EXPECT THE "THIS WILL BE FINISHED BY NOVEMBER NEXT YEAR.

HALF MAIN SITE FORMATION WORKS FOR THE AIRPORT TO BEGIN IN THE SECOND OF 1991, "THE GOVERNOR SAID.

THE GOVERNOR SAID THE PRESENT ESTIMATE OF THE COST OF THE AIRPORT WAS APPROXIMATELY $38 BILLION AT TODAY'S PRICES, EXCLUDING RELATED TRANSPORT LINKS AND OTHER SUPPORTING INFRASTRUCTURE.

NEW

ITS

"CONSULTANTS HAVE BEEN APPOINTED TO ADVISE HOW BEST TO THE FINANCING OF THIS MAJOR INVESTMENT.

HANDLE

JUNE

NEXT YEAR,

THEY WILL

MADE HAVE

DETAILED

"BY RECOMMENDATIONS ON AN EFFECTIVE FINANCIAL STRATEGY.

PLANS FOR CO- AIRPORT IS MAXIMUM POSSIBLE

"A CRUCIAL PART OF THEIR BRIEF IS TO DEVELOP OPERATING WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE NOT ONLY COMMERCIALLY VIABLE, BUT ALSO MAKES THE CONTRIBUTION TO OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT,

**

HE SAID.

THE

SUM UP, SIR DAVID SAID, LAST OCTOBER HE ANNOUNCED THAT GOVERNMENT WOULD BUILD A NEW AIRPORT AT CHEK LAP KOK AND THIS DECISION FOLLOWED DETAILED INVESTIGATIONS OVER MANY YEARS.

"1990 HAS

SEEN THE LAYING OF THE VITAL

FOUNDATIONS

PROJECT, WITH EXPERTS AT WORK ON THE FINANCIAL PACKAGES, AS THE ENGINEERING AND OTHER FEASIBILITY STUDIES.

FOR THE WELL AS

"WE HAVE MADE A GOOD BEGINNING, AND SOME CONTRACTS WITH THE PROJECT HAVE ALREADY BEEN LET, HE SAID.

++

ASSOCIATED

SOON

THE FIRST WORK ON THE GROUND WOULD BEGIN IN JANUARY NEXT

THE TENDERS WOULD BE CALLED FOR

LANTAU AFTERWARDS, CROSSING, THE CENTREPIECE IN THE NEW ROAD AND RAIL SYSTEM WHICH LINK THE AIRPORT TO KOWLOON AND HONG KONG ISLAND.

PROGRESS

YEAR.

FIXED

WOULD

AS THE

TEAM OF FOR THE

SIR

WOULD ACCELERATE DAVID SAID PROFESSIONALS BEING ASSEMBLED, INCLUDING A CHIEF EXECUTIVE AIRPORT AUTHORITY, TOOK UP THEIR POSTS IN THE MONTHS AHEAD.

TO TAILOR

INDIVIDUAL

AND

"AND WE STILL HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY ELEMENTS WITHIN THE TOTAL PROJECT IN RESPONSE TO ADDITIONAL DATA FURTHER ANALYSIS BY THE EXPERTS," HE ADDED.

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