XN000022-1992-11-25 — Page 13

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1992

AGREEMENT HAS BEEN REACHED WITH HONG KONG TELECOMMUNICATIONS LIMITED ON A PACKAGE OF MEASURES TO REDUCE THE COST TO CONSUMERS OF INTERNATIONAL DIRECT DIAL TELEPHONE CALLS AND TO REPLACE THE HONG KONG TELEPHONE COMPANY'S FORMER SCHEME OF CONTROL BY A SYSTEM OF PRICE- CAPPING.

IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON STEVEN POON IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY, MRS CHAN SAID CONSIDERABLE PROGRESS HAD BEEN MADE IN FINALISING THE DETAILS OF ARRANGEMENTS IN AREAS SUCH AS PRICG-CAPPING AND NETWORK INTERCONNECTION.

"SINCE JUNE, WE HAVE ALSO MADE CONSIDERABLE PROGRESS IN PLANNING FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF A COMPETITIVE REGIME FOR THE LICENSING OF LOCAL FIXED TELECOMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS, SHE SAID.

A DECISION ON THE NUMBER OF NEW LOCAL NETWORKS TO BE LICENSED WILL BE MADE IN THE LIGHT OF THE PROPOSALS RECEIVED AND AN ASSESSMENT OF THE NUMBER OF NEW NETWORKS WHICH THE MARKET IS LIKELY TO BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN IN THE NEAR FUTURE, SHE ADDED.

SINCE THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS AUTHORITY ISSUED A GUIDANCE NOTE IN SEPTEMBER THAT CALLED FOR PROPOSALS BY FEBRUARY 1 NEXT YEAR. 52 PARTIES HAD REGISTERED INTEREST WITH THE AUTHORITY,

THE BROAD INTENDS TO THAT MOBILE

AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE GUIDANCE NOTE SPTS OUT LICENSING CRITERIA THAT THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS AUTHORITY APPLY AND INDICATES THE GENERAL LEVEL OF PAYMENTS TELEPHONE AND NEW LOCAL FIXED NETWORKS MAY EXPECT ΤΟ RECEIVE FOR DELIVERING AND RECEIVING INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC.

IN A FURTHER STEP TO HELP POTENTIAL NEW FIXED NETWORK PROVIDERS IN PREPARING THEIR PROPOSALS, MRS CHAN SAID THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS AUTHORITY HAD RECENTLY HOSTED A TECHNICAL SEMINAR ON NETWORK

INTERCONNECTION.

IN ADDITION, SHE SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD BEEN GIVING CONSIDERATION ΤΟ WHAT CHANGES, IF ANY, SHOULD BE MADE REGULATORY STRUCTURE.

SERIOUS ΤΟ THE

VIETNAMESE REPATRIATION POLICY REITERATED

*

THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, MR IAN STRACHAN, REITERATED TODAY (WEDNESDAY) THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD NO WISH TO SEPARATE FAMILIES IN THE REPATRIATION OF ILLEGAL VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS FROM HONG KONG.

BUT IN THE VERY SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE VIETNAMESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS (BCVIIS) WHO WERE MARRIED TO OUT VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS WHILE BEING DETAINED IN HONG KONG, NO ALTERNATIVE BUT TO RETURN THEM TO CHINA AND THEIR SPOUSES TO VIETNAM, HE SAID.

EX-CHINESE

SCREENED-

THERE WAS VIETNAMESE

/IN A