XN000022-1992-08-04 — Page 7

TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 1992

WHY?

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NEW

FIRST OF ALL, EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE A AIRPORT.

I REPEAT, EVERYBODY. AND EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT THE PROJECTS ASSOCIATED WITH IT, INCLUDING OF COURSE THE NEW RAILWAY-LINE, EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT THOSE PROJECTS WILL BE COMPLETED AS WELL.

AND WHY?

BECAUSE THE OVERWHELMING ARGUMENTS ARE FOR DOING THAT. THE OVERWHELMING ARGUMENTS FOR HONG KONG, THE OVERWHELMING ARGUMENTS FOR CHINA, THE OVERWHELMING ARGUMENTS FOR THE WHOLE REGION. ONE OF THE THINGS WHICH HAS ENSURED THAT THIS REGION GOES ON EXPANDING INVESTMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE.

LOOK AT THE INVESTMENT INFRASTRUCTURE IN SINGAPORE, IN TAIWAN, IN MALAYSIA, IN THAILAND, SOUTH KOREA. ARE WE REALLY TO SAY THAT WHAT IS RIGHT IN THOSE COMMUNITIES IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD TURN OUR BACKS ON IN HONG

KONG?

IS

IN

IN

WE KNOW, TOO, SOME OF THE SPECIFIC AND IDENTIFIABLE

ADVANTAGES. WE KNOW OF THE ASSESSMENT THAT THE AIRPORT WOULD ADD IN ADDITIONAL WEALTH TO HONG KONG, $420 BILLION BETWEEN 1997 AND 2010, A HUGE INCREASE IN OUR GNP. WE KNOW THAT FOR STARTERS, WE SEE ANOTHER 350 HECTARES OF LAND RECLAIMED, IN A CITY WHERE THE PRESSURE ON LAND IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS THAT WE FACE. AND WE KNOW AS WELL, THAT WE ARE GOING TO OPEN UP NEW AREAS, LIKE NORTH LANTAU, FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT. WE KNOW OF THE ENORMOUS IMPORTANCE OF A NEW AIRPORT FOR THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF PEOPLE IN KOWLOON WHO WON'T HAVE, ANYMORE, TO HAVE THE AEROPLANES FLYING IN BETWEEN THEIR LAUNDRY. WE KNOW THAT ALL THOSE THINGS ARE TRUE. SO THE SOONER WE CAN TURN THEM INTO REALITY, THE BETTER.

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WELL HOLES

HAVE

AND MY SECOND POINT: I CAME ACROSS, THE OTHER DAY, A REMARK BY ONE OF HONG KONG'S WISEST ELDER STATESMEN I HOPE I LIVE TO BE HIS AGE WHO SAID THAT SO LONG AS PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WERE DIGGING HOLES IN THE GROUND EVERYTHING IN THE ECONOMY WOULD BE ALL RIGHT. WE'VE DUG A LOT OF HOLES IN THE GROUND, NOT BOTTOMLESS-PITS BUT

THE GROUND WHICH HAVE TURNED INTO SPECTACULAR TUNNELS, WHICH TURNED INTO EFFICIENT RAIL-SYSTEMS RAIL-SYSTEMS THAT MAKE A PROFIT, HEAVENS ABOVE! ROADS THAT WORK, WE'VE DONE ALL THAT. WHEN I'M TOLD ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF COST-EFFECTIVE INVESTMENT, WHEN I'M TOLD ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF DELIVERING PROJECTS ON TIME AND TO COST, I MUST SAY I'M INCLINED TO RESPOND BY SAYING: THESE AREN'T ISSUES ON WHICH PEOPLE IN HONG KONG NEED TO STARE INTO THE CRYSTAL-BALL, THEY AREN'T ISSUES WHERE WE NEED THE HELP OF SOOTHSAYERS OR FORTUNE-TELLERS. COMMUNITY HAS CARRIED THROUGH SO MANY MAJOR PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS ON TIME, UNDER THE BUDGET, NO COMMUNITY HAS DONE THAT MORE EFFECTIVELY THAN HONG KONG. AND WHAT WE HAVE DONE BEFORE WE CAN AND WILL DO AGAIN I HAVE EVERY CONFIDENCE IN RELATION TO THE AIRPORT AND THE RAILWAY AND ALL THE PROJECTS ASSOCIATED WITH IT. SO THE SOONER WE CAN GET ON WITH IT AGAIN, THE BETTER.

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NO

/THIRD - MY

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