XN000022-1994-01-22 — Page 2

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 22, 1994

FUNDS SOUGHT FOR WORKS ON GOVERNMENT ACP PROJECTS

APPROVALS FROM FINANCE URGENT GOVERNMENT

THE GOVERNMENT HAS DECIDED TO SEEK COMMITTEE WHICH ARE NEEDED TO ENABLE SOME ITEMS то PROCEED ON THE AIRPORT CORE PROGRAMME (ACP).

AT

THEY INVOLVE CONTRACTS FOR PART OF THE GOVERNMENT'S CHEK LAP KOK, INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITIES FOR TUNG CHUNG REMAINING WORKS ON THE LANTAU FIXED CROSSING, AND ADVANCE THE AIRPORT RAILWAY.

WORKS

FACILITIES NEW TOWN, WORKS FOR

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID: "THE WORKS INVOLVED ARE ALL URGENTLY NEEDED ΤΟ MAINTAIN THE MOMENTUM OF THE AIRPORT CORE PROGRAMME, SO THAT THE PROJECTS CAN BE COMPLETED TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT POSSIBLE BY MID-1997.

COMMITMENTS.

"THE ITEMS DO NOT BREAK ANY NEW GROUND IN TERMS OF FINANCIAL THEY ARE ALL COVERED BY THE OVERALL ESTIMATE OF THE ACP PROJECTS, WHICH HAS RECENTLY BEEN REDUCED BY $7.6 $52.5 BILLION IN MONEY OF THE DAY.

GOVERNMENT'S BILLION то

"THEY HAVE ALSO BEEN ALLOWED FOR IN THE MEDIUM-TERM FORECASTS PUBLISHED IN THE 1993 BUDGET. THEY CAN THEREFORE GO AHEAD ONCE FINANCE COMMITTEE APPROVAL HAS BEEN OBTAINED.

"THE APPROVALS WE WILL BE SEEKING EARLY NEXT MONTH FROM FINANCE COMMITTEE INVOLVE UPGRADING SOME ITEMS TO CATEGORY A OF THE PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME, AND ADJUSTING THE SCOPE OF WORKS FOR SOME OTHER APPROVED ITEMS, SO THAT CONTRACTS CAN BE PLACED IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR SCHEDULED PROGRAMME."

THE FUNDS BEING SOUGHT (IN MONEY OF THE DAY) COMPRISE $1.39 BILLION FOR GOVERNMENT FACILITIES AT CHFK LAP KOK, $1.29 BILLION FOR THE

1. LANTAU FIXED CROSSING, AND $1.87 BILLION FOR TUNG CHUNG PHASE

NO ADDITIONAL FUNDING HAS TO BE SOUGHT FOR THE AIRPORT ADVANCE WORKS WHICH WILL BE FUNDED INITIALLY AS PART GOVERNMENT HIGHWAYS AND LAND DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.

WITH AS

RAILWAY OF FOUR

OTHER ENTRUSTMENT WORKS UNDERTAKEN ON BEHALF OF THE THE MTRC MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY CORPORATION (TRC) BY THE GOVERNMENT, KILL REIMBURSE THE GOVERNMENT FULLY WHEN THE AIRPORT RAILWAY IS

CONSTRUCTED.

LAP

THE $1.39 BILLION FOR THE GOVERNMENT'S OWN FACILITIES AT CHEK KOB WILL COVER PROCUREMENT OF EQUIPMENT FOR GOVERNMENT SERVICES COMPRISING THE AIRPORT'S AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM, AND METEOROLOGICAL AND POSTAL MECHANISATION EQUIPMENT, TOGETHER WITH RELATED CONSTRUCTION WORKS.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID: "WE WISH TO PROCEED WITH THESE GOVERNMENT- FUNDED ITEMS NOW IN LINE WITH OUR INTENTION TO COMPLETE THE AIRPORT TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT POSSIBLE BY MID-1997.

/"THE GOVERNMENT