XN000022-1993-01-16 — Page 3

SATURDAY, JANUARY 16, 1993

DURING THE CONFERENCE, THE CHIEF SECRETARY WILL BE ONE OF THE SPEAKERS AT A PLENARY SESSION ON "CHINA AND THE NEW EAST ASIA CONFIGURATION" AS WELL AS A PARTICIPANT IN A WORLD ECONOMIC "BRAINSTORMING" SESSION WITH INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS LEADERS.

THE HONG KONG DELEGATION WILL HOST AN INFORMAL LUNCHEON BILLED

AS THE "MEET THE BUSINESS LEADERS FROM HONG KONG".

THE THEME FOR THIS FUNCTION IS "WILI, HONG KONG LOSE OR INCREASE ITS RELEVANCE AS THE KEY LOCATION FOR DOING BUSINESS IN AND WITH SOUTHERN CHINA".

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THE HONG KONG DELEGATION WILL ALSO HOST TWO DINNERS FOR ABOUT TOP-LEVEL BUSINESSMEN AND ACADEMICS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. THE CHIEF SECRETARY WILL TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN HONG KONG.

SIR DAVID SAID THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM WAS AN IMPORTANT WORLD STAGE WHERE HONG KONG GAINED VALUABLE EXPOSURE.

"OUR PRESENCE AT DAVOS IN RECENT YEARS RESULTED IN THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM HOLDING THE FIRST-EVER EUROPE-EAST ASIA ECONOMIC FORUM IN HONG KONG LAST YEAR.

"THIS EVENT FOCUSED ATTENTION ON THE THRIVING ECONOMIES OF THE EAST ASIAN REGION, PARTICULARLY HONG KONG, AND COULD BE THE PRECURSOR TO SIMILAR HIGH-POWERED MEETINGS IN THE FUTURE, HE ADDED.

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SIR DAVID WILL FLY TO LONDON ON MONDAY (JANUARY 18) ON A DUTY VISIT AND LEAVE BEFORE JOINING THE DELEGATION IN DAVOS FOR THE WEP WHICH WILL BEGIN ON JANUARY 28.

HE WILL RETURN TO HONG KONG ON FEBRUARY 1.

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MEASURES TO SPEED UP PUBLIC WORKS

* * *

REFERRING TO ARTICLES IN THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST AND THIS (SATURDAY) MORNING, A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN CONFIRMED INSTRUCTIONS HAD BEEN ISSUED TO THE DIRECTORS OF THE PUBLIC

OF DEPARTMENTS TO SPEED UP APPROVAL AND PAYMENT PROCEDURES PUBLIC WORKS.

GROUP

MING

THA"

WORKS

FOR

"THESE ARRANGEMENTS ARE MAINLY INTENDED TO CUT SPEEDING UP THE PROCESSES BY WHICH CONTRACTS FOR PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS RED-TAPE BY

ARE LET, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

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"WE HAVE ASKED THE WORKS GROUP OF DEPARTMENTS TO INVITE TENDERS AND TO SEEK APPROVAL OF FUNDS FROM PUBLIC WORKS SUB-COMMITTEE/FINANCE COMMITTEE IN PARALLEL INSTEAD OF CONSECUTIVELY.

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"THIS SHOULD SHORTEN THE PERIOD BETWEEN THE COMPLETION OF DESIGN AND THE START OF WORKS BY SOME MONTHS AND SO SPEEDIER COMPLETION OF PROJECTS. BUT THERE IS NO INTENTION CIRCUMVENT FINANCE COMMITTEE. NO CONTRACT CAN

LET UNLESS FINANCE COMMITTEE HAS APPROVED ITS FUNDING,

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