XN000022-1994-01-20 — Page 2

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 1994

DEPUTY TO THE GOVERNOR MRS ANSON CHAN SPEAKS TO PRESS AFTER HER VISIT TO TRANSPORT LICENSING OFFICE

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MRS CHAN: GOOD AFTERNOON. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. I'VE JUST BEEN VISITING THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT AND SEEING FOR MYSELF SOME ASPECTS OF THE DEPARTMENT'S WORK. THE COMMISSIONER AND HIS STAFF HAVE BEEN EXPLAINING то ME HOW THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COPE WITH THE STEADY INCREASE IN VEHICLE NUMBERS AND YET STILL THROUGH IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY, MAKING USE OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY, AND STREAMLINING THEIR PROCEDURES, HAVE BEEN ABLE TO EFFECTIVELY MOVE LARGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE ON OUR STREETS EVERYDAY. I THINK THE CREDIT GOES TO THE COMMISSIONER AND HIS STAFF. I AM ALSO VERY PLEASED TO KNOW THAT AND I HAVE COMMENDED THE STAFF FOR THEIR EAGERNESS AND THEIR READINESS TO IMPROVE THEIR PERFORMANCE AND THEIR SERVICES TO CUSTOMERS. FOR EXAMPLE, THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REDUCE WAITING TIME FOR APPLICATION FOR LICENCES. AND I'M SURE THAT THEY WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK AT AREAS TO IMPROVE CUSTOMER SERVICES. I AM ALSO VERY GLAD TO KNOW THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAS ESTABLISHED CUSTOMER LIAISON GROUP. THIS WILL ALSO OF COURSE DO A GREAT DEAL TO ENABLE STAFF OF THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT ΤΟ MAINTAIN CLOSE CONTACT WITH THEIR CUSTOMERS AND TO SEE IN WHAT AREAS THEY CAN CONTINUE TO IMPROVE SERVICES. RIGHT, QUESTIONS?

REPORTER: DO YOUR SHARE THE CONCERNS THAT WERE RAISED BY THE GOVERNOR THE OTHER DAY ABOUT SELF-CENSORSHIP IN THE MEDIA?

MRS CHAN: WELL. I WAS JUST SAYING THAT SELF-CENSORSHIP IS OF COURSE A RISK THAT IS ALWAYS THERE. THE BASIC LAW AND THE JOINT DECLARATION GUARANTEES PRESS FREEDOM AFTER 1997 AND I'M SURE THAT THIS IS AN AREA THAT THE MEDIA THEMSELVES WILL BE PARTICULARLY CONCERNED ABOUT AND WILL BE PAYING PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO BOTH NOW AND AFTER 1997.

REPORTER: WE ARE GETTING MFN NOW, VIRTUALLY WE ALL OF HK'S TOP TRADE OFFICIALS ARE NOW IN HK, WILL YOU BE MEETING WITH THEM TO DISCUSS TRADE ISSUES, SPECIFICALLY MFN AND MAKING DECISIONS ON WHETHER THE GOVERNOR WOULD OR WOULD NOT GO TO WASHINGTON?

MRS CHAN: I HAVE INDEED ALREADY MET THE HEADS OF OVERSEAS OFFICES, NOT ONLY TO DISCUSS THE QUESTION OF MFN AND OTHER TRADE ISSUES BUT ALSO TO DISCUSS A WHOLE RANGE OF OTHER ISSUES OF CONCERN TO OUR OVERSEAS ECONOMIC AND TRADE OFFICES. THE MFN ISSUE, YOU ARE QUITE RIGHT IS OBVIOUSLY OF GREAT CONCERN TO US BECAUSE THERE IS AN IMPACT ON HONG KONG TRADE AND THEREFORE ON OUR ECONOMIC GROWTH. THE GOVERNOR HAS ALREADY SAID THAT WE ARE CONSIDERING WHAT LOBBYING EFFORTS WE SHOULD BE LAUNCHING THIS YEAR. WE HOPE VERY SHORTLY TO ARRIVE AT A POSITION AS ΤΟ THE STRATEGY IN TERMS OF LOBBYING FOR EXTENSION OF MFN FOR CHINA.

REPORTER: WOULD YOU PERSONALLY ADVOCATE THAT HE GOES TO WASHINGTON?

MRS CHAN: I THINK THE GOVERNOR IS CONSIDERING, HAVING GONE LAST YEAR, WHETHER HE SHOULD GO AGAIN THIS YEAR AND IF HE DOESN'T GO, WHO GO, IF ANYBODY.

SHOULD

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