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In response to press enquiries about a radio report today (December 3) as saying that the upcoming WTO Ministerial Conference to be held from December 13 to 18 in Hong Kong would discuss Members' offer made in the on-going services negotiations and that Hong Kong Government had committed to open up public library and archives, environmental hygiene and sewage treatment services in the negotiations which would in turn lead to privitisation and outsourcing of the relevant services, a spokesman for the Trade and Industry Department refuted the report as erroneous.
"Nothing in the WTO General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) requires privatisation or outsourcing of any public services. The GATS in fact does not apply to public services.
"Therefore, neither will the ongoing services negotiations nor the existing commitments and offers made by Hong Kong in the negotiations lead to or pave the way for privatisation or outsourcing of any public services,¡¨the spokesman said.
"No agreement on the services negotiations will indeed be signed at the upcoming Hong Kong Ministerial Conference. The services negotiations are an on-going process and will only be concluded upon the completion of the current round of WTO negotiations," the spokesman clarified.
The spokesman added that the Government had taken, and would continue to take, into account Hong Kong's economic and social conditions in formulating our offers under the WTO trade in services negotiations. The Government would not undertake any commitment that would adversely affect the local economy and employment.
Ends/Saturday, December 3, 2005
Issued at HKT 19:50
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