XN000022-1993-04-22 — Page 15

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THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 1993

DR SAMUEL WONG : GOVERNOR, ON THE AIRPORT CORE PROGRAMME, COULD YOU TELL US WHETHER THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AT THIS POINT IN TIME IS STILL CONFIDENT THAT THE ACP'S AS LISTED IN THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING SIGNED IN SEPTEMBER 1991 COULD STILL BE LARGELY AND SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETED BY THE MIDDLE OF 1997?

GOVERNOR : YES, WE DO TAKE THAT VIEW BUT OBVIOUSLY THE LONGER IT TAKES TO NEGOTIATE A SATISFACTORY TOTAL FINANCING PACKAGE WITH OUR COLLEAGUES IN THE PRC, THE MORE DIFFICULT IT IS TO SECURE AN OUTCOME WHICH THE HONOURABLE MEMBER AND I WOULD BOTH LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH. WE'RE AT PRESENT, AS THE HONOURABLE MEMBER WILL KNOW, ENGAGED IN WORK ON SIX OF THE MAIN TEN ACP PROJECTS. WE'VE, I THINK, EMBARKED ON WORK ON OVER 20 BILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF THE MAJOR PROJECTS. THAT Is A CONSIDERABLE STEP BUT WE'VE OBVIOUSLY GOT A LOT MORE WORK TO DO AND THE SOONER WE CAN HAVE AN AGREED OVERALL FINANCIAL PACKAGE THE BETTER. I NOTICE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SOME QUITE ENCOURAGING REMARKS MADE BY PRC OFFICIALS ON THE SUBJECT IN THE LAST FEW DAYS.

DR SAMUEL WONG YOU MENTIONED ABOUT SIX PROJECTS. HOW ABOUT THE SEVENTH ONE WHICH IS THE CENTRAL AND WANCHAI RECLAMATIONS STAGE ONE WHICH IS VERY CRITICAL. WOULD YOU LIKE TO JEE THAT GO AHEAD, OTHERWISE IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE, SAY, TO HAVE A HONG KONG STATION BY 1997?

GOVERNOR : WELL, THE EXECUTIVE WHEN WE WERE DISCUSSING WITH THE COUNCIL THE FINANCING OF THE ACP BEFORE CHRISTMAS GAVE THIS COUNCIL CERTAIN UNDERTAKINGS AND WE INTEND TO ABIDE BY THEM. I DON'T THINK THE COUNCIL WOULD FIND IT ACCEPTABLE IF WE DIDN'T. THE SOONER WE CAN AGREE AN OVERALL FINANCING PACKAGE, THE SOONER WE CAN MOVE FORWARD ON ALL FRONTS AS THE HONOURABLE MEMBER WOULD LIKE US TO DO AND I APPRECIATE THE HONOURABLE MEMBERS CONCERN ON THIS.

FOR THE

MR FREDERICK FUNG (THROUGH INTERPRETER) : THANK YOU. A QUESTION THE GOVERNOR. IN RELATION TO THE AIRPORT, AS LAYMEN WE FEEL THAT PROBLEM IS WITH THE FUNDING ARRANGEMENT AND AS YOU SAID, MR GOVERNOR, THE PRC IS NOW TAKING A MORE POSITIVE ATTITUDE. BO MY QUESTION IS, IS THE ADMINISTRATION POSITIVELY PROPOSING VIEWS TO THE PRC SO THAT THE FUNDING ARRANGEMENTS CAN BE NEGOTIATED?

A

GOVERNOR : THE HONOURABLE MEMBER WILL KNOW THAT WE HAVE PUT FORWARD VARIETY OF PROPOSALS TO PRC OFFICIALS ABOUT OVERALL FUNDING OF THE AIRPORT BUT SO FAR ALAS HAVEN'T HIT THE JACKPOT, HAVEN'T PUT FORWARD A PROPOSAL WHICH HAS FOUND FAVOUR WITH PRC OFFICIALS. IF IN DUE COURSE PRC OFFICIALS REGARDED THE TIME AS BEING RIPE FOR ADDRESSING THE QUESTION WITH THEM AGAIN, WE'D BE DELIGHTED TO BE AS CONSTRUCTIVE AND HELPFUL AS POSSIBLE. I REPEAT WHAT THIS COUNCIL KNOWS, THAT WE NEED A NEW AIRPORT, WE WILL HAVE A NEW AIRPORT AT CHEK LAP KOK, THE SOONER WE CAN HAVE IT, THE BETTER. NOT LEAST THE BETTER FOR THE GOVERNMENT THE SAR.

OF

/MR ALBERT