Many participants in the negotiations, including Hong Kong, have also committed to observe a set of regulatory principles aimed to ensure fair competition among all suppliers of telecommunications services.
The negotiations on basic telecommunications are an extension of the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations completed in 1994. At the close of the Uruguay Round, it was agreed that negotiations on basic telecommunications should continue until the end of April this year in order to allow more time for participants to negotiate with a view to achieving higher levels of liberalisation in this market.
End
More construction activities to face noise controls
New controls on certain noisy construction activities will come into effect on November 1.
"Under the new regulations, five items of powered mechanical equipment, including hand-held breakers, dump trucks, bulldozers, concrete mixer lorries and vibratory pokers, will be subject to stringent noise limits if they are to be operated in designated areas during noise sensitive hours," Senior Environmental Officer of the Environmental Protection Department (EPD), Mr Sam Wong, said.
Also to be controlled will be certain noisy manual activities, such as hammering, scaffolding work, rubble disposal through metal chutes and the handling of steel bars.
The noise sensitive hours are defined as those between 7 pm and 7 am on weekdays, and at any time during general holidays, including Sundays.
Designated areas cover generally the residential districts of Hong Kong, Kowloon and new towns in the New Territories.
Under the new controls to be implemented later this year, the carrying out of specific construction activities in designated areas and noise sensitive hours would need a construction noise permit from the EPD, Mr Wong said.
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