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Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Professor Anthony Cheung Bing-leung, at a media session today (May 2) on the Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link at the West Wing lobby, Central Government Offices, Tamar:
Reporter: Why did you set up this committee? Why have you decided suddenly to set up this committee?
Secretary for Transport and Housing: It is not a decision made suddenly. In fact after the delay was known, we have carefully studied the public reaction. We feel that, first of all, of course the Administration is gravely concerned about the delay and about the factors leading to the delay. Secondly, we understand that there is widespread public concern about the matter. Therefore from early on, the possibility of setting up an independent expert panel was on our consideration. We have come to sort of the final decision early this week. It has been taking time for us to contact the potential candidates for the membership of this expert panel.
Reporter: Mr Cheung, can you tell me what exactly the committee will be looking into?
Secretary for Transport and Housing: This is an independent expert panel of three members. I've just said that the Chairperson of this panel is Professor Lee Chack Fan who is the Chair Professor of Geotechnical Engineering at the University of Hong Kong and he's also a past president of the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences. The other two members, one of them is a local member. The other member is an overseas member. I will wait until all matters relating to these two persons have been sorted out before I would officially announce the full membership. I hope that could take place very soon. The terms of reference, again, will be announced. This is not a commission of inquiry. This is an expert panel to examine all the systems, processes, practices and other modus operandi relating to the implementation of the (Hong Kong Section of Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong) Express Rail Link project. The panel will be looking into the project management matters on the part of the MTR Corporation. It will also be looking at project monitoring on the part of both the Corporation and the Government. On the Government side of course, as you know, both the Highways Department and the Transport and Housing Bureau are involved in the process. So we expect the panel to look into both the Bureau and the Highways Department in terms of their role in the project monitoring process as well. The panel will also be looking at the interface between the Government side and the MTR Corporation. Now we expect the panel to look at the whole range of matters relating to the implementation of the (Hong Kong Section of Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong) Express Rail Link project. At the end of the day of course we expect the panel to produce a report for the Government and this report will be published.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Friday, May 2, 2014
Issued at HKT 19:14
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