XN000022-1994-05-16 — Page 7

MONDAY, MAY 16, 1994

6

HK SHOULD BE PRUDENT ABOUT PUBLIC FINANCING

* * * * *

THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, THIS (MONDAY) AFTERNOON SAID HONG KONG SHOULD BE PRUDENT ABOUT PUBLIC FINANCING IF PUBLIC FUNDS WERE GOING TO BE USED, THEY SHOULD BE TARGETED THINGS THAT PEOPLE WERE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT.

AND ON

SPEAKING ΤΟ REPORTERS AFTER THE FOUNDATION STONE LAYING CEREMONY FOR THE NEW HEADQUARTERS BUILDING FOR THE ST JOHN'S COUNCIL FOR HONG KONG, MR PATTEN SAID: "AT PRESENT, HOUSEHOLDS ARE PAYING TWO

OF PER CENT

UNDER THEIR HOUSEHOLD INCOMES IN DOMESTIC RATES. PROPOSALS THAT FOLLOW THE NORMAL PRACTICE, THAT FIGURE WOULD GO UP 2.1 PER CENT.

THE ΤΟ

THE

"IN THE CONTEXT OF A BUDGET WHICH HAS MADE SUBSTANTIAL CUTS TAX BURDEN, I DON'T REALLY THINK THAT PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THINK THAT'S UNREASONABLE.

IN

IN REPLY TO A QUESTION ABOUT MFN RENEWAL, MR PATTEN HOPED MFN WOULD BE DELINKED FROM POLITICAL ISSUES.

THAT

"I THINK

IN

THE

KONG. I

THAT'S IN THE INTEREST OF EVERYBODY. IT'S INTEREST OF AMERICA AND CHINA. IT'S IN THE INTEREST OF HONG THINK IT'S IN THE INTEREST OF THE WHOLE WORLD.

"I CAN'T PREDICT WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN WASHINGTON BUT I VERY MUCH HOPE THAT GOOD SENSE WILL PREVAIL.

"

THE ASKED TO COMMENT ON THE SUGGESTION OF SELECTIVE SANCTIONS, GOVERNOR SAID: "WE'VE MADE IT CLEARLY ALL ALONG THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE UNCONDITIONAL RENEWAL OF MFN.

IN

IN "SOMETIMES

TALKED THE PAST, PEOPLE HAVE

ABOUT SELECTIVE SANCTIONS, FOR EXAMPLE, IN TERMS OF TARGETING AT THE STATE SECTOR CHINA WHEN IT COMES TO EXPORTS.

QUITE APART

FROM

THAT, OF

I'VE NEVER

THE UNDESIRABILITY UNDERSTOOD HOW IT'LL BE ADMINISTRATIVELY POSSIBLE."

-

FOLLOWING

TRANSCRIPT OF GOVERNOR'S MEDIA SESSION

IS THE

**

STONE

JOHN'S

TRANSCRIPT OF THE MEDIA SESSION BY THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN AFTER THE FOUNDATION LAYING CEREMONY FOR THE NEW HEADQUARTERS BUILDING FOR THE ST. COUNCIL FOR HONG KONG THIS (MONDAY) AFTERNOON:

QUESTION:

IN

AN

COMMISSION, YOUR OPPOSITION TO HAVE A HUMAN RIGHTS INDEPENDENT HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, ARE YOU.... CONFIDENT IN KNOWING THAT YOU'RE BACK TO THIS POSITION BY DIRECTOR LU PING?

/GOVERNOR: