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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1993

AIR CARGO CAPACITY CAPABLE TO MEET DEMAND

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THE CARGO CAPACITY PROVIDED FOR UNDER HONG KONG'S AIR SERVICES AGREEMENTS AND ARRANGEMENT IS ADEQUATE TO CATER FOR MARKET DEMAND AND GROWTH, THE SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC SERVICES, MR GORDON SIU, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY DR THE HON HUANG CHEN-YA, MR SIU SAID AIR FREIGHT SERVICES TO AND FROM HONG KONG'S MAJOR TRADING PARTNERS WERE PROVIDED, ON BOTH A SCHEDULED AND NON-SCHEDULED BASIS, BY HONG KONG-BASED AND FOREIGN AIRLINES.

"CURRENT LOAD FACTORS INDICATE THAT THERE IS ADEQUATE CAPACITY

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IN THE MARKET TO MEET FORESEEABLE YEAR-ROUND DEMAND, HE SAID.

DURING THE FIVE-YEAR PERIOD FROM 1987/88 TO 1992/93, THE TOTAL VOLUME OF COMMERCIAL AIR CARGO LOADED AND UNLOADED AT HONG KONG INCREASED BY 58.5 PER CENT.

OF THE VOLUME HANDLED IN 1992/93, ALL BUT TWO PER CENT OF TOTAL CARGO UNLOADED AND FIVE PER CENT OF TOTAL CARGO LOADED WAS CARRIED BY SCHEDULED CARRIERS.

MR SIU SAID NON-SCHEDULED SERVICES PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN COPING WITH SEASONAL PEAKS IN DEMAND, SUCH AS PRE-CHRISTMAS SHIPMENTS TO EUROPE AND THE UNITED STATES.

"NEVERTHELESS, THE SITUATION IS KEPT UNDER CONSTANT REVIEW; SHOULD CIRCUMSTANCES CHANGE, WE WOULD SEEK TO NEGOTIATE ADDITIONAL CAPACITY AND FREQUENCY PROVISIONS WITH THE PARTNERS CONCERNED, HE SAID.

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STRINGENT SAFETY MEASURES IMPOSED ON GOVT PROJECTS

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ALTHOUGH BOTH GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE SECTOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS WERE SUBJECT TO THE SAME INDUSTRIAL SAFETY STANDARDS UNDER THE LAW, GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS DID IMPOSE STRINGENT SAFETY REQUIREMENTS ON THEIR CONTRACTORS.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, MR WK LAM, IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON LAU CHIN-SHEK IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

MR LAM SAID THE WORKS GROUP OF DEPARTMENTS MONITORED THE SAFETY PERFORMANCE OF THEIR CONTRACTORS AS PART OF THEIR ASSESSMENT ON WHETHER GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS SHOULD BE AWARDED TO THEM IN FUTURE.

A SET OF COMPLIANCE STANDARDS IS BEING DEVELOPED AND WILL BE INTRODUCED NEXT YEAR.

/THE HOUSING

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