XN000022-1996-01-10 — Page 62

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(b)

(c)

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On the basis of the turn-out in 1995, the Company now expects annual sales to grow at between 3.5% and 5% in the next few years. Consequently, maximum demand for electricity is now forecast to grow at about 4.4% a year, as compared to the previous forecast of 5.4%, over the next few years.

The Company has revised its future development programme to take account of the lower forecast of maximum demand. The total capacity expansion plan for 1992 to 1999 has been revised from one which cost $60 billion in the Company's 1992 Financing Plan to $52 billion in the latest forecast. This reduction has been achieved by rescheduling transmission and distribution projects, deferring completion of the last two units of Black Point Power Station and introducing other cost- cutting measures. These actions have reduced capital expenditure by $1.2 billion and operating expenses by $281 million between 1992 and 1995 and are expected to save a further $6 billion in capital expenditure and $1.17 billion in operating expenses from 1996 to 1999.

Daily working hours of industrial and service employees

Following is a question by the Hon Cheng Kar-foo and a written reply by the acting Secretary for Education and Manpower, Miss Jacqueline Willis, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):

Question:

According to a salary survey report released in March 1995, employees of some trades in the territory - such as the finance, business service, insurance and guarding services sectors have to work more than eight hours a day, and some even have to work as many as 11 hours daily. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council :

(a)

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of the average daily working hours of workers in the industrial and service sectors in the western countries as well as in the territory in each

of the past three years;