XN000022-1993-03-05 — Page 15

14

FRIDAY, MARCH 5, 1993

GOVERNMENT TO REVIEW PUBLIC WORKS PROCEDURES

PROJECTS ON

TO INCREASE SUBSTANTIALLY ITS CAPACITY TO DELIVER PUBLIC WORKS TIME, THE GOVERNMENT PLANS TO UNDERTAKE A THOROUGH OVERHAUL OF PUBLIC WORKS PROCEDURES, PRACTICES AND SYSTEM, THE SECRETARY FOR THE TREASURY, MR KY YEUNG, SAID,

SPEAKING AT THE INAUGURATION CEREMONY OF THE HONG KONG CONSTRUCTION ASSOCIATION THIS (FRIDAY) EVENING, MR YEUNG SAID THE SECRETARY FOR WORKS WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REVIEW.

**IT IS NOT MERELY A QUESTION OF REVIEWING THE WORKS SIDE OF LIFE : I INTEND TO SUBJECT THE FINANCIAL AND RELATED POLICY ASPECTS OF THE PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME TO SIMILAR CRITICAL ANALYSIS, HE SAID.

11

THE REVIEW WOULD NOT FIRST BE AN IN-HOUSE AFFAIR, MR YEUNG SAID,

ADDING THAT BOTH THE SECRETARY FOR WORKS AND HE HIMSELF INTEND то DRAW UPON THE GREAT DEPTH OF EXPERTISE THAT IS AVAILABLE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR.

"ALTHOUGH GOVERNMENT IS NOT DRIVEN BY THE NEED то MAKE A PROFIT, NONETHELESS WE MAY NEED TO ADOPT SOME OF THE FINANCIAL AND OTHER DISCIPLINES THAT ARE EMPLOYED BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR то ENSURE THE LEVELS OF EFFICIENCY AND SERVICE THAT THE TAXPAYER IS ENTITLED ΤΟ EXPECT, HE SAID,

||

"IN CONDUCTING THE REVIEW, I AM PREPARED TO RELAX THE PRESENT FINANCIAL RESTRAINTS IMPOSED ON STAFF GROWTH IN THE WORKS DEPARTMENTS, PROVIDED THAT AN ADEQUATE CASE CAN BE MADE.

"THE FURTHER USE OF CONSULTANTS TO AUGMENT STAFF RESOURCES CRITICAL AREAS WILL ALSO BE CONSIDERED, MR YEUNG SAID.

IN

"WHERE POSSIBLE, WE HOPE TO MAKE GREATER USE

OF DESIGN AND BUILD, AND TURN-KEY PROJECTS. PROJECTS ANNOUNCED IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET SPEECH SUCH AS THE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE TUEN MUN HIGHWAY AND THE NEW NORTH DISTRICT HOSPITAL MAY BE SUITABLE CANDIDATES FOR SUCH TREATMENT, HE SAID.

*

"THE USE OF THESE FORMS OF CONTRACT SHOULD NOT ONLY SPEED UP STARTS ON PROJECTS, IT SHOULD ALSO RESULT IN MORE COMPETITIVE BIDS. FOR EXAMPLE, IT SHOULD BE POSSIBLE ΤΟ ALLOW MORE FREEDOM TO CONTRACTORS ΤΟ SUGGEST ALTERNATIVE DESIGNS OR CONSTRUCTION METHODS THAN IS CURRENTLY POSSIBLE WITH PROJECTS WHERE THE DESIGN HAS ALREADY BEEN UNDERTAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT.

"WITH THIS IN MIND THE GOVERNMENT HAS TODAY FORMALLY INVITED EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO DESIGN, BUILD AND OPERATE THE COUNTRY PARK SECTION OF ROUTE 3, HE SAID.

NORTHWARDS FROM

IN

TO

ROUTE 3 WILL BE A MAJOR HIGHWAY STRETCHING TSING YI ISLAND TO YUEN LONG AND THE BORDER WITH CHINA. INCLUDED THE PROJECT IS THE CONSTRUCTION OF A MAJOR BRIDGE FROM TSING YI TING KAU AND A TUNNEL UNDER THE TAI LAM COUNTRY PARK.

/THE ESTIMATED