XN000022-1990-10-12 — Page 4

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1990

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"THE DECISION TO PROCEED IS PART OF OUR LONG-TERM STRATEGY FOR THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG,

THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, SIR PIERS JACOBS, SAID IF THE AIRPORT WAS NOT BUILT EVERYONE WOULD SUFFER.

"OUR VITAL SERVICES WILL DETERIORATE AND WE WILL SACRIFICE THE STANDARDS OF LIVING OF OUR PEOPLE," HE SAID.

PLANNED PROPERLY, HONG KONG WOULD HAVE THE BENEFIT OF THE NEW AIRPORT, STRONG RESERVES, BALANCED BUDGETS, AND AN ABILITY ΤΟ BRING DOWN TAXES, HE SAID.

THE SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC SERVICES, MRS ANSON CHAN, DISMISSED CLAIM THAT A NEW AIRPORT FOR HONG KONG WAS NOT NECESSARY BECAUSE OF THE PLANNING DEVELOPMENTS IN MACAU AND SHENZHEN.

SHE SAID PEOPLE WHO HAD SUCH THOUGHTS WERE OVERLOOKING THE IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION MADE BY THE AIRPORT TO THE ECONOMY OF HONG KONG IN BUSINESS, TOURISM AND FREIGHT.

MRS CHAN SAID UNDER THE JOINT DECLARATION, HONG KONG WOULD BE MAINTAINED AS AN INTRNATIONAL AND REGIONAL AVIATION CENTRE.

"HOW CAN WE DO THAT IF WE HAVE NO AIRPORT UNDER OUR CONTROL?

SHE SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS AWARE OF THE PLANS FOR SHENZHEN BEFORE THE DECISION WAS TAKEN то GO AHEAD REPLACEMENT AIRPORT.

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MACAU AND WITH THE

THE ADVICE GIVEN WAS THAT THE SHENZHEN DEVELOPMENT WOULD BE NO MORE THAN A DOMESTIC AIRPORT CAPABLE OF HANDLING THREE ΤΟ FOUR MILLION PASSENGERS A YEAR, AND MACAU WOULD BE ABOUT THE SAME SIZE.

LAST YEAR, 16 MILLION INTERNATIONAL PASSENGERS PASSED THROUGH KAI TAK AND THE GROWTH WS 12 PER CENT, UP TO AUGUST THIS YEAR THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASE OF 11 PER CENT.

MRS CHAN SAID AT THE CURRENT RATE OF GROWTH, ΚΑΙ TAK WOULD REACH SATURATION POINT AS EARLY AS 1993. EVEN WHEN PLANNED EXPANSION AT KAI TAK WAS COMPLETED, IT WOULD ONLY BE CAPABLE OF HANDLING 24 MILLION PASSENGERS A YEAR.

SHE SAID SHE COULD SEE NO DIRECT COMPETITION BETWEEN AIRPORTS AT MACAU AND SHENZHEN AND WITH THE NEW ONE IN HONG KONG.

THE

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