XN000022-1991-09-20 — Page 3

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1991

THE ECONOMIES OF ASIA PACIFIC (EXCLUDING AMERICA AND CANADA FOR THESE PURPOSES) ACCOUNTED FOR JUST EIGHT PER CENT OF THE GLOBAL ECONOMY IN 1960. BY 1987, THEIR SHARE WAS 18 PER CENT.

OVER A SIMILAR PERIOD, ASIA PACIFIC'S SHARE OF WORLD EXPORTS JUMPED FROM 13 PER CENT TO 24 PER CENT, HE SAID.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE, MR CHAU SAID, SOME PREDICTED THAT ASIA PACIFIC ECONOMIES WOULD OUTPERFORM MOST OTHER REGIONS OF THE WORLD IN THE 1990'S AND BEYOND.

"I AM CONFIDENT THAT BOTH HONG KONG AND SINGAPORE CAN, AND WILL, CONTRIBUTE TO MAKING THAT PREDICTION ECONOMIC REALITY,' HE SAID.

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APPLICATION INVITED FOR HALON QUOTA ALLOCATION

IMPORT

HALON, AN OZONE LAYER DEPLETING CHEMICAL SUBSTANCE, WHICH HAS BEEN USED WIDELY IN FIRE FIGHTING, WILL BE CONTROLLED UNDER AN QUOTA ALLOCATION SYSTEM FROM JANUARY 1 NEXT YEAR.

THE GOVERNMENT GAZETTE TODAY (FRIDAY) PUBLISHED A NOTICE INVITING APPLICATIONS FOR QUOTA ON RETAINED IMPORTS OF HALONS FOR THE PERIOD OF JANUARY 1 TO DECEMBER 31 NEXT YEAR.

THE SUBSTANCES UNDER CONTROL

2402.

INCLUDE HALONS 1211, 1301 AND

AN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

DEPARTMENT (EPD) SPOKESMAN SAID THE PURPOSE OF THE QUOTA SYSTEM IS TO FREEZE THE RETAINED IMPORTS HALONS AT THE 1986 LEVEL.

OF

IN 1986, ABOUT 700 TONNES OF HALON SUBSTANCES WERE IMPORTED ABOUT 37 PER INTO HONG KONG. LAST YEAR, THE FIGURE HAS INCREASED BY CENT.

THE RETAINED IMPORTS OF HALON WILL BE FURTHER PER CENT BY THE YEAR 1995 AND THEN FINALLY THE YEAR 2000.

BE

BANNED

REDUCED BY 50 ALTOGETHER BY

ITS OBLIGATION LAYER DEPLETING MONTREAL

THE GOVERNMENT IS TAKING THIS ACTION TO FULFIL IN COMPLYING WITH THE CONTROL SCHEDULE OF OZONE SUBSTANCES STIPULATED IN AN INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT PROTOCOL ON SUBSTANCES THAT DEPLETE THE OZONE LAYER SIGNED IN 1987.

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THE

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE HALON QUOTA ALLOCATION SYSTEM IS PART AND PARCEL OF A SERIES OF PROGRESSIVE MEASURES CONTROLLING THE RETAINED IMPORTS AND OZONE LAYER DEPLETING SUBSTANCES.

/CURRENTLY, THE