TNAG-0206-FCO40-242-Construction-of-a-cross-harbour-tunnel--under-Hong-Kong-harb-1969 — Page 64

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

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DRAFT TELEGRAM

woonlah The shar

A.

Your telegram 127 of 8th February. Hong Kong Tunnel.

We are informed by E.C.G.D. as follows! -

1.

2.

A

i

55/6

They find it difficult to understand attitude

of Tunnel Company shareholders to almost every

offer they make. However they try to put it

the Tunnel Company revert to "political risk"

in a manner which implies that E.C.G.D. should

insure them against political events in Hong Kong.

E. C.G.D. have told them repeatedly that this is

not their function and that they are offering

Costains normal repeat normal E.C.G.D. cover for

this business. E. C. G.D. concern with local share-

holders starts and finishes in respect of their

responsibility to repay the loan in their capacity

as Hong Kong entities and not as members of

international groups.

Against this background E. C.G.D. inform us:-

(a)X "Procedural arrangements to secure creditors

access to proceeds of the operation of the

tunnel" means neither more nor less thar:

creation of a fund holding arrangement which

will ensure the availability of proceeds, if

the tunnel is profitable, to cover outstanding

loan repayments. The precise form of this is

a matter for negotiation but clearly it must be

designed to prevent equity shareholders milking

company whilst leaving fixed rate lenders to

carry future risks. It would also offer shareholders

chance of early loan repayment if they wished to

do so. This is a normal financing arrangement when

equity capital is relatively low in relation to

last.

fixed interest lending, as in thig. Obviously the

fund arrangements would provide for fair return

on equity capital whilst loan was outstanding.X

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