XN000022-1992-11-10 — Page 3

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1992

WHEN ASKED TO COMMENT ON CONCERNS EXPRESSED BY A SECTOR OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, THE GOVERNOR SAID: "IF THERE ARE BUSINESS GROUPS OR BUSINESSMEN WHO THINK THAT THE PROPOSALS THAT I'VE PUT FORWARD WOULDN'T SURVIVE, I HOPE THAT THEY WILL SET OUT IN TERMS, THE SORT OF PROPOSALS WHICH THEY THINK WOULD BE LIKELY TO SURVIVE AS WELL AS MEETING THE CRITERIA WHICH ARE AGREED BY BOTH ME AND BY DIRECTOR LU PING."

"SO WHEN I SEE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONALS FEDERATION IN DECEMBER I VERY MUCH HOPE THEY'LL HAVE WORKED UP THEIR GENERAL PRINCIPLES IN TWO SPECIFIC PROPOSALS. BECAUSE SOONER OR LATER, WHAT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WILL HAVE TO DO IS TO MAKE IT'S MIND UP ON SPECIFIC PROPOSALS," MR PATTEN SAID.

DECISION ON CONTAINER TERMINAL 9 ANNOUNCED

*

DEVELOPMENT

THE GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED TODAY (TUESDAY) THAT THE RIGHTS FOR CONTAINER TERMINAL 9 (CT9) ON TSING YI WOULD BE OFFERED JOINTLY TO MODERN TERMINALS LIMITED (MTL),

HONGKONG INTERNATIONAL TERMINALS (HIT) AND THE TSING YI CONTAINER TERMINAL CONSORTIUM BY PRIVATE TREATY.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID ONE OF THE GOVERNMENT'S KEY OBJECTIVES WAS TO INCREASE COMPETITION IN THE PORT,

THIS WAS A FIRST STEP.

ADDING THAT

"AT THE SAME TIME GIVEN THE CONTINUED STRONG GROWTH IN THE GOVERNMENT IS KEEN TO ENSURE THE TIMELY CONSTRUCTION HENCE THE DECISION TO INVOLVE BOTH EXISTING AND NEW PLAYERS,"

THE OFFER WOULD, HOWEVER, BE CONDITIONAL.

DEMAND, OF CT9. HE SAID.

"THE CONDITIONS ARE THAT THE GRANTEES FORM A SINGLE GROUP TO DESIGN AND CONSTRUCT THE FOUR-BERTH TERMINAL BUT, ON ITS COMPLETION, THEY REORGANISE THAT GROUP SO THAT TWO BERTHS ARE OWNED AND OPERATED BY HIT/MTL AND TWO ARE OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE TSING YI CONTAINER TERMINAL CONSORTIUM, THE SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED.

Fi

HE SAID THESE ARRANGEMENTS

REASONABLE WAY FORWARD.

REPRESENTED A PRACTICAL AND

THEY WERE NECESSARY FIRST, то INTRODUCE GREATER COMPETITION INTO THE CONTAINER TERMINAL BUSINESS, AND SECONDLY, ΤΟ ENSURE THE SPEEDY CONSTRUCTION OF THE TERMINAL TO MEET FORECAST DEMAND.

HE EXPLAINED THAT IN

THE

ΤΟ

LONGER TERM IT WAS NECESSARY INCREASE COMPETITION IN THE PORT IN ORDER ΤΟ MAINTAIN AND IMPROVE STANDARDS OF SERVICE AND TO GIVE CUSTOMERS A WIDER CHOICE.

"HENCE THE DECISION HAS BEEN TAKEN TO BRING IN ONE OF THE TWO NEW PLAYERS WHICH HAS EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN THE DEVELOPMENT.

/"IT IS