XN000022-1993-11-04 — Page 5

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1993

HE NOTED THAT ONE OF THE SUBJECTS WHICH WOULD FORM A THE URUGUAY ROUND AGREEMENT AND WHICH WAS OF VITAL CONCERN KONG WAS TEXTILES AND CLOTHING.

PART

то

OF HONG

"A SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION TO THE URUGUAY ROUND WILL SKK THE START OF THE PHASING OUT OF DISCRIMINATORY RESTRAINTS UNDER THE MULTI- FIBRE ARRANGEMENT.

"THESE RESTRICTIONS ARE A DEPARTURE FROM GATT PRINCIPLES AND HAVE LIMITED AND DISTORTED WORLD TRADE IN TEXTILES AND CLOTHING SINCE THE EARLY 1960'S," HE SAID.

HE CHAU SAID HONG KONG SUPPORTED THE INTEGRATION OP THE TEXTILES AND CLOTHING SECTOR INTO THE GATT BY MEANS OF A TRANSITIONAL ARRANGEMENT BASED ON THE MULTI-FIBRE ARRANGEMENT.

"WE THEREFORE LOOK FORWARD TO A SATISFACTORY OUTCOME OF THE TALKS, RESULTING IN AN AGREEMENT WHICH WILL LEAD TO LIBERALISATION OF WORLD TRADE IN TEXTILES AND CLOTHING AT THE END OF A 10-YEAR PHASE-OUT PERIOD, HE ADDED.

14

CONTRACT AWARD OF LANTAU TOLL PLAZA ADVANCE EARTHWORKS

THE CENTRAL TENDER BOARD HAS AWARDED A FURTHER CONTRACT UNDER THE AIRPORT CORE PROGRAMME TO CARRY OUT ADVANCE EARTHWORKS FOR THE TOLL PLAZA AT NORTHEAST LANTAU BETWEEN THE NORTH LANTAU EXPRESSWAY AND THE KAP SHUI MUN BRIDGE.

THE LANTAU TOLL PLAZA ADVANCE EARTHWORKS CONTRACT HAS BEEN AWARDED TO AOKI/FRANKI JOINT VENTURE AT A PRICE OF $119.6 MILLION.

AS PART OF THE LANTAU FIXED CROSSING PROJECT, THE CONTRACT WILL INVOLVE ADVANCE SITE FORMATION FOR THE LANTAU TOLL PLAZA AND ADMINISTRATION BUILDINGS TOGETHER WITH THE DUAL THREE-LANE EXPRESSWAY APPROACHES.

THE WORKS WILL ALSO INCLUDE THE CONSTRUCTION OF DRAINAGE CULVERTS AND A SEAWALL AND RECLAMATION AT TSING CHAU WAN TO PROVIDE RESERVE FOR THE AIRPORT RAILWAY AND CONTRACTORS WORKS AREAS.

A

TENDERS WERE RECEIVED FROM EIGHT PREQUALIFIED TENDERERS AND THE JOINT VENTURE FORMED BY AOKI CORPORATION OF JAPAN AND FRANKI CONTRACTORS LIMITED OF HONG KONG SUBMITTED THE LOWEST TENDER OF $119.6 MILLION.

CONSTRUCTION WORK WILL START LATER THIS MONTH FOR COMPLETION IN EARLY 1995.

THE LANTAU FIXED CROSSING PROJECT, COMPRISING THE TSING MA BRIDGE AND THE KAP SHUI MUN BRIDGE AND MA WAN VIADUCT, WILL FORM PART OF AN EXTENSIVE TRANSPORT NETWORK LINKING TUNG CHUNG NEW TOWN AND NEW AIRPORT AT CHEK LAP KOK TO THE URBAN AREAS OF KOWLOON HONG KONG.

THE

AND

/THE AWARD