TNAG-0426-FCO40-472-Construction-of-an-underground-railway-system-in-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 5

Page

HONG KONG STANDARD

31/12/73

Read by influential

One of two English morning newspapers. members of the community. Circulation: 25,000.

1

1

Rail system builders

get moving

PREPARATIONS are now under way in Japan for the shipment of heavy construction equipment for the Colony's Mass Transit system.

Mr Akira Ito, chairman and managing director of Mitsubishi Corporation, said that construction is expected to begin in early April.

He said yesterday: “I、 hope our consortia can sign the contract by the end of March so that we will be able to start this project as soon as possible.

are to

37

"We

already preparing

ship to Hongkong the equipment which we will be using,' said Mr Ito. Skilled technicians and engineers would come from Japan but labourers will

be hired locally.

Mr Ito said that construction details of the mass transit railway could not be worked out in full until the boring tests are complete.

He also disclosed that Jardine Matheson, the local representatives for the

Japanese consortia of 56 companies; will shortly hold talks with the Government

on

'ENERGY

CRISIS

WON'T

AFFECT

PROJECT'

а

contract.

by Tony Bugay

"force

majeure"

discuss with the Hongkong He said: "We are going to

Government the matter of

includes riots, strikes and force majeure which

any other happenings that are beyond our control."

He said that extra costs will' have to be paid by the Government if they should change the present proposed plan of $5,000 million.

"But if the plan goes according to schedule, we cannot ask the Government to pay the extra costs,” he said.

Mr Ito also indicated that the Japanese consortia will bear whatever extra expenditure that is not covered in the force majeure contracts."

a

Mr Ito said that despite the oil crisis and rising costs of living in Hongkong and most other parts of the world, he is confident that the Japanese consortia will keep to its of price proposal

contract

$5,000 million.

He said: "We have 56 companies in our consortia : and that includes the New Japan Steel manufacturing company as well as others. This mainly means that we will be getting all the material that we need from inside we will not have to buy it outside."

Mr Ito said that experts had come to Hongkong recently from Japan to Survey the situation here as well as to have talks with the Government.

"Before the official contract is concluded, the Government will first have to issue a letter of intent, the contents of which will shortly be discussed," he said.

"Transport in Hongkong is not very comfortable so there must be a better system for the people of Hongkong. If we can give them better transportation through this project, then this is a very good thing,” he said.

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