XN000022-1993-10-11 — Page 5

MONDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1993

"DUE TO INFLATION AND PRICE FLUCTUATION DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PERIOD, WE ARE NOW IN THE PROCESS OF SEEKING A SUPPLEMENTARY PROVISION FROM THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.

REPORTED

IN

"THE ADDITIONAL SUM IS NOWHERE NEAR $270 MILLION THE PRESS REPORT, AND THE PROCESS IS IN LINE WITH THE STANDARD ARRANGEMENT TO ALLOW PRICE ADJUSTMENTS IN PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS NOT AWARDED ON FIXED COST BASIS.

H

"IT IS REGRETTABLE THAT THE PRESS REPORT USED THE $44 MILLION ROUGH ESTIMATE (AT 1987 PRICES) MADE IN THE PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION AS THE BASIS OF CALCULATING THE ACTUAL COST.

"THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT HAS SINCE THEN BEEN MUCH ENLARGED WITH THE PROVISION OF ADDITIONAL ESCALATORS AND LONGER ELEVATED SECTION TO ENHANCE THE ATTRACTIVENESS AND SAFETY OF THE SCHEME."

ON THE LENGTH OF THE CONSTRUCTION PERIOD, THE SPOKESMAN SAID: "WHILE THE CONTRACTOR IS REQUIRED TO COMPLETE THE SYSTEM WITHIN 24 MONTHS, THIS, IN NO WAY, MEANS THAT THE SYSTEM SHOULD BE READY FOR PUBLIC USE IN FEBRUARY 1993 BECAUSE THE CONTRACTOR IS ENTITLED TO A LONGER CONSTRUCTION PERIOD DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER, DIFFICULT SITE CONDITION AND PRESENCE OF UNCHARTED UNDERGROUND UTILITIES WHICH THEY HAVE ENCOUNTERED.

BIG SUPPORT FOR GOVERNMENT: POLL FINDS

*

TERRITORIES

IN A SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE CITY AND NEW ADMINISTRATION (CNTA) IN SEPTEMBER, 50 PER CENT OF THE RESPONDENTS EXPRESSED SATISFACTION WITH THE GOVERNMENT'S OVERALL

PERFORMANCE.

A CNTA SPOKESMAN SAID THIS WAS THE SAME APPROVAL RATING AS THE PREVIOUS SURVEY IN JULY.

IN

THE "HONG KONG FUTURE" ISSUE CONTINUED TO TOP THE LIST OF PROBLEMS MENTIONED BY RESPONDENTS AT 45 PER CENT. UP FIVE PER CENT COMPARED WITH THE JULY POLL, BUT STILL WELL BELOW THE 64 PER CENT RESPONSE IN MARCH THIS YEAR.

ON THE "HONG KONG FUTURE" ISSUE, 22 PER CENT BELIEVED THE GOVERNMENT HAD HANDLED IT WELL UP FROM 20 PER CENT IN JULY.

AT THE SAME TIME, FOUR-FIFTHS SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD EXERTED EFFORT IN SOLVING THE PROBLEM THE SAME AS IN THE JULY POLL.

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RESPONDENTS WHO MENTIONED "CRIME-RELATED" PROBLEMS INCREASED FROM 11 PER CENT IN JULY TO 19 PER CENT IN SEPTEMBER. EIGHTEEN PER CENT EXPRESSED SIMILAR CONCERN IN SEPTEMBER LAST YEAR.

/A GOVERNMENT