Oct. 06 1999

Delivering his annual policy address to the Legislative Council, Mr Tung said establishing a world-class city required more than just cleaning up litter and enforcing environmental laws.

"It requires a fundamental change of mindset."

Mr Tung said the whole community had to work together to reduce pollution and waste and to improve the quality of life in Hong Kong. He said the government would lead the way with the introduction of a series of measures costing $30 billion over the next ten years. They include:

• Reducing respirable particulates from vehicles by 60 per cent by 2003 and 80 per cent by 2005. Consequentially the air quality would compare favourably with major cities such as New York and London.
  
  
• Replacing diesel taxis and minibuses with liquid petroleum gas vehicles and installing particulate traps or catalytic converters on other diesel vehicles.
  
  
• Providing $1.4 billion in grants to diesel vehicle owners to facilitate these improvements.
  
  
• Stronger action against smoky vehicles
  
  
• Expanding pedestrian zones and encouraging the use of less polluting modes of transport.
  
  
• A co-operation agreement with neighbouring Guangdong province in the Chinese mainland to deal with problems and improve conditions in six areas of environmental protection such as the quality of air and water.
  
  
• Spending $9 billion in the next five years on additional sewerage works.

Mr Tung said a new and more proactive approach to urban renewal was needed to improve living conditions in Hong Kong generally. The aim is to provide additional open space, green belts, and community facilities and improve road networks while preserving the distinctive features of Hong Kong's old districts.

He said Victoria Harbour was an integral part of Hong Kong that everyone treasured.

"It deserves all our efforts to protect it and to make it more beautiful. For this reason, we have decided to scale back on the reclamation planned for the Harbour," he added.

Mr Tung said the government would make land available along the waterfront for promenades and walkways. On the open space on both sides of the harbour, provision will be made for open plazas, landscaped areas, marinas, shops and restaurants with distinct cultural flavours.

A major performance venue and a sports complex will be built near the harbour in Kowloon for the benefit of the local community and tourists. In developing the waterfront areas, traffic corridors will be kept away to prevent noise and air pollution and to improve the aesthetics.

"The development of the waterfront of the reclamations in Central and Wan Chai and East and West Kowloon presents us with the opportunity to give Victoria Harbour a face lift," Mr Tung said. "We will hold an open competition and invite local professionals as well as those from all over the world to help us create a new look for our Harbour in the new millennium."

Mr Tung said that to realise Hong Kong's vision as a world-class city, with a thriving economy and an affluent and culturally rich society, it was necessary to develop its human capital and thereby to introduce education reforms.

He said Hong Kong had to become an innovative and knowledge-based society that provided a well-rounded education, developing student's intelligence and creativity and fostering their ability to acquire knowledge throughout their lives.

Almost $600 million has been granted from a recently established $5 billion Quality Education Fund to over 1,000 projects which have improved the effectiveness of both teaching and learning in Hong Kong schools, benefiting some 600,000 students.

As part of a new strategy on information technology in education, the government has offered schools cash grants for purchasing computers, provided 120 schools with an information technology co-ordinator and begun information technology training for teachers.

Language benchmarks have been established for the teaching of English and Putonghua in schools and teachers will be required to attain the necessary standard of ability.

Commenting on the introduction of mother tongue teaching least year, Mr Tung said that according to feedback, students had improved in their learning abilities and were achieving better results in all subjects, including English.

At the higher level of education, government loans will be increased to encourage more people to undertake further studies and $120 million in grants will be made available to tertiary institutions to develop areas of excellence in information technology, biotechnology and economics and business strategy.

Mr Tung said that in order to have a vibrant economy and to broaden its economic base, Hong Kong should also attract talented people from elsewhere. He announced that the government had agreed on arrangements for a scheme to admit Mainlanders who excelled in their fields and possessed the technological know-how and experience most needed in Hong Kong.

Mr Tung said Hong Kong's economy was improving and he believed that the high unemployment rate caused by the Asian financial turmoil would come down gradually in due course.

"I am sure that Hong Kong people, who are adaptable, enterprising and energetic, will be able to scale new heights," he added.