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Following is the transcript of remarks (English portion) by the Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology (SCIT), Mr John Tsang, to the media after attending the press conference on Entertainment Expo at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre today (January 19):

Reporter: Mr Tsang, could you brief us on the advantages that the Expo will bring to Hong Kong, especially in financial terms?

SCIT: In the past, we have been doing different events. What we have been able to do is to bring together eight different events under one occasion. What we have now is a collection of exhibitions, awards, ceremonies, as well as some film festivals and so forth. This hopefully will be able to concentrate to bring a focus on Hong Kong as a film's centre, a centre for making films. In the process, we will also be doing some work on financing as well. There will be a forum on financing. We are bringing together not just the artistes, but also business people, financers, and people working on production and so forth. It is a whole collection of different people coming together in one place. I think the synergy can be incredible and we will be able to bring quite a bit of economic benefit to Hong Kong as a result.

Reporter: Are you concerned that this will mean a competition of resources between different festivals and also what will the Government actually give because the Film Development Fund has ended already. Will the Government actually give some financial aid to the film industry?

SCIT: The Government has put up quite a bit of money for this particular event. All the different events will be bringing in their own resources and try hopefully to create a super activity effect of creating more than one plus one, would be more than three, in the process. That could be a very desirable outcome.

Reporter: Will the Government consider reviving the Film Development Fund because it is already used up?

SCIT: We are giving consideration to that.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript)

Ends/Wednesday, January 19, 2005

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