XN000022-1990-12-19 — Page 13

-

12

"

'MOST OF THESE KEY ORGANISATIONS ARE ALREADY SHAREHOLDERS OF EDI SERVICE TRADELINK, AND THEY HAVE BEEN PROMOTING A COMMUNITY-WIDE FOR THE PAST

COMMENCE DISCUSSION WITH THEM IS A LOGICAL NEXT STEP.

FEW YEARS. TO

TRADING

THE

COUNCIL

"THE GOVERNMENT WILL DECIDE HOW A COMMUNITY ELECTRONIC SERVICE IS TO BE

HAVING REGARD TO THE LAUNCHED,

OUTCOME OF

DISCUSSION WITH TRADELINK.

DECISION OF THE EXECUTIVE WILL BE SOUGHT AGAIN EARLY NEXT YEAR," THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

THE

MID-YEAR FORECAST FOR 1990-91 FINANCIAL YEAR

THE GOVERNMENT'S LATEST FORECAST OF ITS FINANCES FOR 1990-91 INDICATES THAT, OVERALL, EXPENDITURE IS LIKELY TO BE LESS THAN THE ESTIMATE.

THE YEAR SOMEWHAT

"THIS IS PRIMARILY DUE TO LOWER THAN EXPECTED EXPENDITURE ON PUBLIC WORKS," A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

"REVENUE IS ALSO EXPECTED TO BE SLIGHTLY BELOW THE ESTIMATE MAINLY BECAUSE LAND SALE PROCEEDS ARE UNLIKELY TO BE AT THE LEVEL ANTICIPATED," THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

THE OUTTURN FORECAST IS BASED ON ACTUAL RESULTS TO THE END OF SEPTEMBER AND COULD WELL BE REVISED AGAIN TOWARDS THE END OF THE FINANCIAL YEAR.

THE LATEST FORECAST INDICATES AN OVERALL SURPLUS OF ABOUT $2.1 BILLION COMPARED WITH THE ESTIMATE OF AROUND $700 MILLION.

0

GOVT DISAPPOINTED OVER UNHCR'S FAILURE

FOR VBP RETURN FLIGHT ARRANGEMENT

THE REFUGEE

IN RESPONSE TO MEDIA REQUESTS TODAY (WEDNESDAY), COORDINATOR, MR CLINTON LEEKS, MADE THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT:

"WE ARE DISAPPOINTED THAT THE UNHCR FEEL UNABLE TO ARRANGE A FURTHER FLIGHT FOR THOSE IN THE NEW CATEGORY OF VIETNAMESE RETURNERS BEFORE THE END OF THIS YEAR. WE HOPE THAT THEY WILL MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO DO SO AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE IN 1991. IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT THE SCHEME BE PROPERLY IMPLEMENTED AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE, AND WELL BEFORE THE START OF THE NEW ARRIVAL SEASON NEXT SPRING.

"THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ALSO HOPES THAT UNHCR WILL USE EVERY EFFORT TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE RETURNING UNDER THE VOLUNTARY SCHEME. IT IS IN EVERYONE'S INTEREST, PARTICULARLY THE BOAT PEOPLE, WHO WILL OTHERWISE CONTINUE TO LANGUISH IN THE CAMPS HERE, THAT THEY SHOULD RETURN HOME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. UNDER THE 1988 UNDERTAKING BETWEEN THE UNHCR AND THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT, AND THE SEPTEMBER AGREEMENT SIGNED IN HANOI, THE UNHCR ARE RESPONSIBLE IMPLEMENTATION OF BOTH REPATRIATION SCHEMES.

||

FOR THE

0

/13