XN000022-1993-07-08 — Page 3

THURSDAY, JULY 8, 1993

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WATER SUPPLY TO HK DISCUSSED

AT

GUANGDONG DELEGATION

THE INVITATION OF DIRECTOR GUAN ZONGZHI ON BEHALF OF THE PROVINCIAL BUREAU OF WATER CONSERVANCY AND HYDRO-POWER, A FROM THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT LED BY SECRETARY FOR WORKS, MR JAMES BLAKE, VISITED GUANGZHOU FOR THE FOURTH ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING.

THIS WAS HELD DURING THE PERIOD JULY 5-8 то DISCUSS MATTERS RELATED TO THE SUPPLY OF WATER TO HONG KONG.

AND

ITEMS DISCUSSED INCLUDED A REVIEW OF WATER SUPPLY ARRANGEMENTS RAW-WATER QUALITY, PROGRESS OF THE STAGE III UPGRADING WORKS FOR THE INCREASED WATER SUPPLY COVERED BY THE 1989 AGREEMENT, AND THE BASE PRICES FOR WATER TO BE PURCHASED FROM GUANGDONG DURING THE YEARS 1994 UNTIL 1996 INCLUSIVE.

DIRECTOR GUAN CONFIRMED THAT THE UPGRADING WORKS WERE EXPECTED то BE COMPLETED ALMOST A YEAR AHEAD OF SCHEDULE.

P

DIRECTOR OF WATER SUPPLIES MR M S HU, CONFIRMED THAT THE HONG KONG RECEIVING FACILITIES WOULD BE COMPLETED ACCORDINGLY.

BOTH DIRECTORS AGREED THAT WORKING MEETINGS AT SUB-GROUP LEVEL WOULD BE HELD FREQUENTLY AS INTENDED BY THE 1989 AGREEMENT, TO ENSURE THE CLOSEST POSSIBLE LIAISON BETWEEN THE SUPPLY AND RECEIVING OPERATIONS, PARTICULARLY RATE OF SUPPLY ADJUSTMENTS TO ALLOW FOR STORAGE LEVELS IN THE HONG KONG RESERVOIRS.

AS AGREED, 668 MILLION CUBIC METRES OF WATER WILL SUPPLIED DURING THE WATER YEAR ENDING FEBRUARY 1994.

BE

WERE

LONG TERM DEMAND FORECAST TRENDS FOR HONG KONG WATER DISCUSSED, AND IT WAS RE-CONFIRMED THAT ADEQUATE ALLOWANCE HAD BEEN MADE IN PLANNING THE USAGE OF GUANGDONG WATER RESOURCES TO PROVIDE FOR HONG KONG REQUIREMENTS, THROUGH THE NEXT DECADE AND BEYOND.

DIRECTOR GUAN MADE SPECIAL REFERENCE ΤΟ THE MEASURES BEING TAKEN BY THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT FOR IMPLEMENTATION THROUGH THE BUREAU, TO PROTECT WATER RESOURCES IN GUANGDONG PROVINCE FROM HARMFUL POLLUTION.

RECENT CONCERNS RAISED BY WATER USERS IN HONG LONG HAD BEEN DEALT WITH BY CLOSE CO-OPERATION BETWEEN TECHNICAL EXPERTS ON BOTH SIDES.

FOR

DETAILED DISCUSSIONS RESULTED IN AGREEMENT ON BASE PRICES RAW WATER TO BE PURCHASED DURING THE NEXT THREE YEARS UNDER THE TERMS OF PREVIOUS AGREEMENTS.

DESPITE THE RELATIVELY HIGH PRICE INDEX IN THE RECENT PERIOD ARISING FROM THE FAST DEVELOPING PUBLIC AND PRIVATE BUILDING PROGRAMME, THE BUREAU HAS UNDERTAKEN ΤΟ OVERCOME THE EXISTING DIFFICULTIES IN SO FAR AS THE AGREED PRICE INCREASES ARE BEING HELD DOWN IN FAVOUR OF HONG KONG.

/THE MEETING