XN000022-1993-07-14 — Page 36

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 1993

A LARGE PROPORTION OF ORGANISED TOURS FROM HONG KONG ALSO USE OTHER ENTRY POINTS.

WITH EFFECT FROM AUGUST 1, CHINESE NATIONALS TRANSITING THROUGH HONG KONG WILL BE PERMITTED TO USE ANY OF THE OTHER LAND AND SEA CONTROL POINTS.

THIS WILL RELIEVE LO WU FURTHER, MR ASPREY SAID.

AS FOR MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS, HE SAID A MAJOR EXTENSION TO THE LO WU TERMINAL WAS DUE TO BE COMPLETED IN 1995.

THIS WILL PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL 72 IMMIGRATION INCREASE OF 82 PER CENT.

COUNTERS, AN

HE

SAID THE INTRODUCTION OF OPTICAL READERS IN THE SAME YEAR WOULD ALSO SPEED UP SIGNIFICANTLY THE CLEARANCE OF HONG KONG IDENTITY CARD-HOLDERS, WHO ARE THE VAST MAJORITY OF BORDER-CROSSERS.

THE LO WU CROSSING-POINT WAS UNDER INCREASING PRESSURE, WITH PASSENGER TRAFFIC AVERAGING NEARLY 9,000 PEOPLE AN HOUR.

MR ASPREY SAID 90 PER CENT OF TRAVELLERS WERE BEING CLEARED WITHIN THE 30-MINUTE TARGET WAITING TIME.

HOLIDAYS ARE IMMIGRATION

"ONLY ON BUSY WEEKENDS AND PUBLIC DEPARTMENT FAILING SIGNIFICANTLY TO REACH THE TARGET."

IN

THE SECRETARY SAID OUT OF 84 MILLION PEOPLE CROSSING THE BORDER THE LAST TWO-AND-A-HALF YEARS, ONLY 52 FORMAL COMPLAINTS HAD BEEN RECEIVED.

FACTORS TO AFFECT WATER CHARGES

THE TARGET RATE OF RETURN IS ONLY ONE OF THE FACTORS IN CONSIDERING THE APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF WATER CHARGES.

A

THIS WAS STATED BY THE SECRETARY FOR WORKS, MR JAMES BLAKE, IN WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON FRED LI IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

MR BLAKE SAID OTHER FACTORS SUCH AS PUBLIC INFLATION WOULD BE CAREFULLY ASSESSED.

ACCEPTABILITY AND

**TIME FRAME AND SPECIFIC PLANS FOR ACHIEVEMENT ARE CURRENTLY UNDER GENERAL REVIEW, HE SAID.

W

MR BLAKE NOTED THAT THE TARGET RETURN OF SEVEN PER CENT, WHICH WAS A NOTIONAL FIGURE TO REFLECT THE FINANCING CHARGES AND OPPORTUNITY COST OF THE CAPITAL EMPLOYED FOR SUPPLYING WATER, WAS APPLICABLE ΤΟ BOTH DOMESTIC AND INDUSTRIAL CONSUMERS.

HE ADDED THAT THE ACTUAL RATES OF RETURN FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS AND THOSE ANTICIPATED FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS WERE ALL LOWER THAN THE TARGET RETURN OF SEVEN PER CENT,

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