XN000022-1993-10-20 — Page 19

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1993

"AFTER OBTAINING SUCH A WAIVER, WE HAVE WRITTEN INTO THE NEW FRANCHISES OF CHINA MOTOR BUS AND CITYBUS LIMITED WHICH TOOK EFFECT ON 1 SEPTEMBER 1993 A CLAUSE TO THE EFFECT THAT A MAJORITY OF THE DIRECTORS OF THE FRANCHISEE SHALL BE ORDINARILY RESIDENT IN HONG IRRESPECTIVE OF THEIR NATIONALITY.

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KONG

THE NEW FRANCHISE OF NEW LANTAO BUS WHICH WILL TAKE EFFECT 1 APRIL 1995 ALSO CONTAINS A SIMILAR CLAUSE, HE ADDED.

GOVT DOES NOT REGULATE NEWSPAPERS' PRICE

* * * *

ON

THE

THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT REGULATE THE PRICE OF NEWSPAPERS, SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS, MR MICHAEL SUEN, INFORMED THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON LAU CHIN-SHEK, HE AFFIRMED THAT EXCEPT WHERE SOCIAL CONSIDERATIONS WERE OVER-RIDING, THE PRICES OF COMMODITIES WERE BEST LEFT ΤΟ MARKET FORCES WITH MINIMAL GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION.

ACCORDINGLY, HB SAID THERE WERE NO PLANS TO DEVELOP A MECHANISM TO MONITOR OR CONTROL NEWSPAPER PRICE INCREASES.

HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT ALLOWED NEWS ORGANISATIONS THE GREATEST POSSIBLE FLEXIBILITY IN CONDUCTING THEIR ACTIVITIES.

"THE ONLY ORDINANCE THAT IS DIRECTLY RELEVANT TO THIS MEDIUM IS THE REGISTRATION OF LOCAL NEWSPAPER ORDINANCE, THE PURPOSE OF WHICH IS TO ENSURE THAT EVERY NEWSPAPER IS PROPERLY REGISTERED, WITH THEIR PROPRIETOR, PRINTER, PUBLISHER, AND EDITOR CLEARLY IDENTIFIED.

HE ADVISED MEMBERS OF COUNCIL IF THEY HAD ANY NEWSPAPERS.

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THE PUBLIC TO APPROACH THE CONSUMER COMPLAINTS RELATING ΤΟ THE PRICES OF

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