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Following is the transcript of remarks (English portion) by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Henry Tang, at a media session after attending a radio phone-in programme on RTHK this morning (October 12):
Reporter: Mr Tang, since there are a lot of previous infrastructure projects that have met opposition from the community, are you confident that these major projects in the future will not meet such opposition?
Chief Secretary for Administration: For us to embark on any major infrastructural project I think a first condition must be that we have the support of the community in general; that it brings economic benefits, creates jobs, as well as benefits the environment. So we must have community support as a first condition. Secondly, after we had community support then we would have to go through all the statutory procedures, going to Town Planning Board, Finance Committee for funding as well as any other statutory procedures. We are a society where we respect the rule of law highly. So every single statutory step can be subject to a legal challenge and this comes with the game so to speak. Since we respect the rule of law, we have to respect the rule of law to the ultimate.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Friday, October 12, 2007
Issued at HKT 12:55
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