XN000022-1991-07-08 — Page 3

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MONDAY, JULY 8, 1991

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"PUBLIC EDUCATION ABOUT THE NEED TO SELECT CAREFULLY WHEN BUYING, AND ABOUT CONSUMER RIGHTS, IS IMPORTANT TOO.

"OUR CONSUMER COUNCIL WORKS HARD TO INCREASE PUBLIC AWARENESS HONG KONG. CONFERENCES LIKE THIS HELP TO FOCUS ATTENTION ON THE IMPORTANCE OF CONSUMER PROTECTION, THE GOVERNOR SAID.

IN

OS CLARIFIES IMPORTED LABOUR NUMBERS

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THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF LABOUR THE GOVERNMENT MIGHT NEED ΤΟ I'PORT IN THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF THE AIRPORT CONSTRUCTION WOULD BE ABOUT 2,000, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID FORD, SAID THIS (MONDAY} MORNING.

TALKING ON THE RTHK RADIO-3'S "HONG KONG TODAY" PROGRAMME, SIR DAVID SAID THERE HAD BEEN A BIT OF CONFUSION OVER THE WEEKEND

to THE NUMBERS OF IMPORTED LABOUR RELATED ΤΟ THE NEW AIRPORT

CONSTRUCTION,

AS

THE CHIEF SECRTARY EXPLAINED THAT IN THE EARLY YEARS OF THE AIRPORT CONSTRUCTION, AS THERE WOULD BE A LOT OF PLANT AND MACHINERY INVOLVED, EARTH MOVING AND DREDGING AND SO ON, THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT MIGHT NEED TO IMPORT IN THOSE FIRST TWO YEARS WOULD BE ABOUT 2,000.

"WHEN

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THE AIRPORT IS IN FULL SWING AND WE'RE CONSTRUCTING BUILDINGS THEMSELVES AND SO ON, THE MAXIMUM NUMBER WE MIGHT NEED THEN WOULD BE AROUND ABOUT 20,000, SIR DAVID SAID.

BUT HE SAID IT WOULD BE ABOUT THREE TO FOUR YEARS DOWN THE TRACK AT THE VERY EARLIEST.

"WE HAVEN'T YET IN ANY CASE MADE A DECISION ABOUT HOW MANY WILL BE NEEDED IN EACH PARTICULAR YEAR," HE SAID, ADDING THAT IT WOULD BE A MATTER FOR THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL TO DECIDE.

SIR DAVID SAID THE GOVERNMENT EXPECTED TO MAXE A DECISION WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO ON THE NUMBER OF IMPORTED LABOUR NEEDED IN THE FIRST COUPLE OF YEARS.

HE POINTED OUT THAT PART OF THE ASSESSMENT THE GOVERNMENT DOING NOW WAS TO SEE WHETHER HONG KONG DID NEED TO BRING IN LABOUR FROM ABROAD.

WAS

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THERE WERE EARLY INDICATIONS THAT THERE WERE CONSIDERABLE SHORTAGES IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY PARTICULARLY, HE SAID.

WITH THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE AIRPORT, NOT ONLY WOULD THE AIRPORT CONSTRUCTION PICK UP, BUT ALSO CONSTRUCTION IN THE REST OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR WHICH HAD BEEN A BIT FLAT AWAITING A DECISION ON THE AIRPORT, AND THE WHOLE LABOUR SITUATION WAS LIKELY TO BE A BIT TIGHT, HE SAID.

/SIR DAVID