XN000022-1991-12-18 — Page 22

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1991

SHE ADDED THAT THE COST OF $60 BILLION QUOTED BY THE COMPANIES REPRESENTED THE ESTIMATED TOTAL PROJECT COST BASED ON COAL FIRED GENERATING UNITS, IN MONEY OF THE DAY TERMS, AFTER ALLOWING FOR FUTURE INFLATION.

THE PROJECT WILL BE PHASED OVER A CONSIDERABLE NUMBER OF YEARS (AT LEAST 10) ACCORDING TO THE GROWTH IN DEMAND.

SHE POINTED OUT THAT UNDER THE SCA'S TERMS, WHEN PROPOSALS FOR MAJOR ADDITIONS TO THE COMPANIES SYSTEM HAD BEEN FINALISED THE COMPANIES MUST SUBMIT THEM BY WAY OF A FINANCING REVIEW FOR GOVERNMENT'S APPROVAL.

THIS REVIEW SETS OUT DETAILS OF THE COMPANIES' DEMAND ESTIMATES FORECASTS, PROPOSALS TO MEET THAT DEMAND, SALES FORECASTS,

COSTS AND REVENUE, AND THE RESULTING TARIFF IMPLICATIONS.

OF

SHE NOTED THAT IN THE CASE OF A MAJOR DEVELOPMENT SUCH AS BLACK POINT EACH PHASE OF THE DEVELOPMENT WOULD REQUIRE JUSTIFICATION THROUGH A SEPARATE FINANCING REVIEW.

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TERTIARY PLACES SET TO MEET FUTURE DEMAND OF ECONOMY

THE GOVERNMENT SETS THE TARGET OF TERTIARY PLACES MAINLY IN RELATION TO ESTIMATES OF THE ECONOMY'S FUTURE REQUIREMENT FOR GRADUATE MANPOWER, THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, MR JOHN CHAN, INFORMED THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

IN A WRITTEN REPLY ΤΟ A QUESTION FROM THE HON ERIC LI KA-CHEUNG, MR CHAN SAID ACCOUNT WAS ALSO TAKEN OF A NUMBER OF OTHER FACTORS.

THEY INCLUDED THE COMMUNITY'S ASPIRATIONS, THE LEVEL OF ABILITY OF THE LOCAL STUDENT POPULATION TO BENEFIT FROM TERTIARY EDUCATION AS INDICATED BY THE SUPPLY OF MATRICULANTS, AND THE LEVEL OF TERTIARY PROVISION IN OTHER COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES AT A BROADLY SIMILAR STAGE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO HONG KONG.

FOR,

EDUCATION IN THE

THE SECRETARY SAID THE 1990 PROJECTION OF THE REQUIREMENT AND THE SUPPLY OF, MANPOWER AT DIFFERENT LEVELS OF 1990'S HAD JUST BEEN UPDATED.

"THE REQUIREMENT HAS BEEN PROJECTED IN RESPECT OF DIFFERENT OCCUPATIONAL GROUPS, AND THE PROJECTIONS OF SUPPLY TAKE INTO ACCOUNT EMIGRATION AND NATURAL ATTRITION AS WELL AS THE NEW SUPPLY OF LOCAL AND OVERSEAS GRADUATES, HE SAID.

MR CHAN SAID NO ASSESSMENT HAD BEEN MADE OF THE DEMAND FOR TERTIARY PLACES FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS, SINCE THE PROVISION OF TERTIARY EDUCATION WAS DETERMINED WITH REFERENCE TO THE FUTURE MANPOWER NEEDS OF THE ECONOMY, AND THE PLANNING TARGET WAS NOT TO MEET THE YEAR TO YEAR DEMAND FOR TERTIARY PLACES.

/"RATHER, OUR