XN000022-1992-03-25 — Page 2

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 1992

SELECTION OF NEW AIRPORT TERMINAL DESIGN EXPLAINED

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THE OVER-RIDING CONCERN OF THE GOVERNMENT IN SELECTING CONSULTANT FOR THE CHEK LAP KOK AIRPORT TERMINAL DESIGN 18 TO HAVE ONE THAT IS MOST ABLE TO COME UP WITH A COST-EFFECTIVE SOLUTION.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE SECRETARY FOR WORKS, MR JAMES BLAKE, AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

MR BLAKE SAID THE RATIONALE FOR A WEIGHTING, TO BE APPLIED FOR COMBINING TECHNICAL MERIT SCORES WITH FEE PROPOSALS, WHICH ALSO MIRRORED THE GOVERNMENT'S APPROACH, WAS THAT AN ELEMENT OF FER COMPETITION WAS IMPORTANT, BUT SHOULD NOT BE DOMINANT.

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REPLYING TO A WRITTEN QUESTION BY DR THE HON SAMUEL WONG, THE SECRETARY SAID:

DESIGN THAT

TECHNICALLY

"IN THE CASE OF THE TERMINAL, THIS HAD TO BE THE BEST SATISFIED ALL THE REQUIREMENTS AND FUTURE NEEDS OF A DEMANDING PROJECT, WHILST AT THE SAME TIME ENSURING THAT THE DESIGN COULD BE BUILT WITHIN BUDGET AND ON TIME."

OF THE THREE FINALISTS, HE SAID, BASED UPON TECHNICAL APPRAISAL INCLUDING A REVIEW BY THE PROVISIONAL AIRPORT AUTHORITY'S FULL BOARD OF DIRECTORS, THE CHOSEN CONSULTANT TECHNICALLY WAS CLEARLY AHEAD OF THE NEXT CONSULTANT, WHOSE FEE WAS SIMILAR.

THE REMAINING FINALIST WHOSE FEE PROPOSAL WAS THE LOWEST OF ANY RECEIVED, WAS THIRD BOTH IN TERMS OF TECHNICAL MERIT AND ALSO WHEN COMBINED WITH FEES.

MR BLAKE SAID ONLY ONE OF THE THREE FINALISTS WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER IN FEE. TWO OF THE FINALISTS, INCLUDING THE CONSULTANT AWARDED THE BID, WERE EXTREMELY CLOSE IN TERMS OF FINAL FEE.

THE OVERALL METHOD OF SELECTION WAS IN FACT VERY SIMILAR TO THAT CURRENTLY USED BY THE GOVERNMENT FOR ALL ENGINEERING AND ASSOCIATED CONSULTANCIES.

ALL BIDDING CONSULTANTS WERE IN FACT CONSORTIA OF SEVERAL FIRMS, AND EACH OF THE EIGHT BIDDING CONSORTIA HAD INVOLVEMENT OF OVERSEAS FIRMS BECAUSE OF THE NEED FOR SPECIALIST EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE NOT AVAILABLE LOCALLY.

CONVERSELY, MR BLAKE SAID, HONG KONG EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE WERE CONSIDERED IMPORTANT, AND WERE TAKEN ACCOUNT OF IN ASSESSMENT SUBMISSIONS. ALL CONSORTIA INCLUDING THE APPOINTED CONSULTANT INVOLVEMENT OF HONG KONG BASED FIRMS.

HAD

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