XN000022-1993-10-06 — Page 20

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1993

"BUT THIS PRAGMATISM WILL NOT BUILD THE WHOLE AIRPORT CORE PROGRAMME. THE DATE IS NOT FAR OFF WHEN THE START OF SOME KEY AIRPORT CONTRACTS WILL BE HELD UP IF WE CANNOT SECURE THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT'S AGREEMENT ON FINANCING, MR PATTEN SAID.

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ON THE PORT PROJECT, THE GOVERNOR SAID THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT'S FAILURE ΤΟ AGREE TO PROPOSALS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF CONTAINER TERMINAL 9 (CT9) HAD BEEN CAUSING WORRYING DELAY TO ESSENTIAL PORT EXPANSION.

HE POINTED OUT THAT:

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THE PORT AND ITS RELATED BUSINESS GENERATE 15 PER CENT OF GDP AND JOBS FOR 350,000 PEOPLE.

LAST YEAR, OUR PORT HANDLED 87 PER CENT OF OUR EXTERNAL TRADE 100 MILLION TONNES OF CARGO, INCLUDING BIGHT MILLION CONTAINERS.

IF CT9 IS DELAYED BY EVEN TWO YEARS, THE ECONOMIC LOSS TO HONG KONG WILL BE $20 BILLION IN THE DECADE AFTER 1997.

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"THE PRESENT DELAY WILL HAMPER OUR ABILITY TO SERVICE THE EXPORT-LED GROWTH OF SOUTHERN CHINA AS FULLY AS WE WOULD WISH TO AND AS CHINA HAS INDICATED IT WISHES US TO DO.

"SHIPS WILL BE TURNED AWAY, AND THEY MAY NOT RETURN TO USE OUR PORT. THE DELAY WILL ALSO LEAD TO LONGER TRAFFIC QUEUES AT OUR EXISTING PORT FACILITIES, AGGRAVATING CONGESTION THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE TRANSPORT NETWORK AND DIRECTLY REDUCING THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THE PUBLIC AT LARGE.

"ONCE

AGAIN, LET ME REASSURE THIS COUNCIL THAT WE WILL DO OUR LEVEL BEST TO MOVE THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR NEW CONTAINER TERMINALS FORWARD, THE GOVERNOR SAID,

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TASK FORCE TO CLEAN UP NEW TERRITORIES

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THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, PROPOSED TODAY (WEDNESDAY) IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO SET UP A TASK FORCE BRINGING TOGETHER A NUMBER OF GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, WITH A COMMITMENT ΤΟ CLEAN UP THE NEW TERRITORIES OVER THE NEXT DECADE.

MR PATTEN SAID IN HIS POLICY ADDRESS SEVERAL BILLION DOLLARS WOULD BE REQUIRED, AND PROPOSALS ON HOW TO START THIS WORK DURING THE COMING YEAR WOULD BE PUT FORWARD TO LEGCO SHORTLY.

"IT WILL INVOLVE TOUGHER ENFORCEMENT UNAUTHORISED LAND USE, MAKING AVAILABLE NEW SITES UNDERTAKING MAJOR IMPROVEMENT WORKS.

ACTION AGAINST FOR STORAGE AND

/"IN A

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