XN000022-1990-10-12 — Page 3

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1990

2

GOVERNMENT OUTLINES PADS TO HONG KONG'S BUSINESS COMMUNITY

PORT AND TOP GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TODAY (FRIDAY) OUTLINED THE

LEADERS AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY (PADS) TO HUNDREDS OF BUSINESS

CHAMBER KONG GENERAL

OF AT A SPECIAL SEMINAR ORGANISED BY THE HONG COMMERCE.

SIR DAVID THE OFFICIALS TAKING PART WERE THE CHIEF SECRETARY,

JACOBS, THE SECRETARY FOR FORD, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, SIR PIERS

CHAN, THE MRS ANSON

SECRETARY FOR WORKS, MR ECONOMIC SERVICES,

AND THE KENNETH KWOK, THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, MR MICHAEL LEUNG, SECRETARY FOR THE TREASURY, MR HAMISH MACLEOD.

GENERAL

EVENT WOULD AND TO ANSWER

KONG THE HONG OPENING THE SEMINAR, THE CHAIRMAN OF CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, DR HELMUT SOHMEN, SAID HE HOPED THE HELP TO DISPEL SOME CONCERNS THAT HAD BEEN EXPRESSED QUESTIONS.

"THE CHAMBER

BELIEVES THE

AIRPORT

IS A DEVELOPMENT

VITAL OF HONG KONG AND IT SHOULD PROCEED A9

NECESSITY FOR THE FUTURE QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

"WE ARE HERE TO FIND A WAY TO MAKE PROGRESS, NOT JUST TO CRITICISMS," DR SOHMEN ADDED.

VOICE

THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID

FORD, SAID THE DECISION TO PROCEED WITH THE PROJECT WAS MADE ON

GROUNDS OF THE "ECONOMIC BENEFITS FOR HONG KONG, IT HAD NO POLITICAL CONNOTATIONS".

THE

WOULD HAPPEN IF WOULD HAVE ON THE

HE SAID PEOPLE SHOULD ASK THE QUESTION "WHAT

IT EFFECT WE DIDN'T BUILD THE AIRPORT AND WHAT ECONOMY OF HONG KONG?"

"PEOPLE

IN HONG

SURVIVE

AND

ARE ABLE

KONG

ΤΟ COMFORTABLE LIFE IF THE ECONOMY IS VIBRANT, IF THEY HAVE WORK IF THEY CAN EARN GOOD WAGES.

LIVE A

TO DO,

WE ARE BUILDING "THAT IS THE OVERRIDING CONSIDERATION IN WHY

AND FOR THE AIRPORT

NO OTHER OVERRIDING POLITICAL CONSIDERATION CLEARLY IN WHATSOEVER. I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE THAT OUR MINDS.

SIR DAVID EXPLAINED THAT THE OVERALL DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW PORT

AS A SERIES OF STUDIES INTO AND AIRPORT WAS NOT NEW

THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG WENT BACK AS EARLY AS 1972.

HE

SAID THE

GOVERNMENT WAS DECISION AFTER EMPLOYING A RANGE FEASIBILITY OF A REPLACEMENT AIRPORT.

CRITICISED FOR NOT MAKING A OF CONSULTANTS TO LOOK INTO THE

BEING CRITICISED

FOR

WE ARE

"NOW WE HAVE MADE THE DECISION, BEING TOO HASTY AND THAT WE NEED EVEN MORE STUDIES.

"THE DECISION