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Following is the transcript of the remarks given by the Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa, after today's (May 9) Executive Council meeting at the Central Government Offices (English portion):

Mr Tung: In my Policy Address last year, I announced a series of measures to improve the environment here in Hong Kong, particularly with regard to quality of air. Earlier this year when I visited Toronto and Los Angeles, I also spent time to understand how other major cities have been tackling the environmental issue, particularly the air quality issue.

Actually, the problem of our air quality in Hong Kong starts with the fact that we have far too many diesel vehicles on the road. The important thing now is to find alternative fuel which is far superior than diesel and what kind of fuel, such as LPG for taxis, for light buses and also low-sulphur diesel to replace the existing diesel.

Since the Policy Address, the Government has spent a few months making preparations, designing measures in order to make sure that when the measures do come out, they will achieve the desired results of improving the air quality. And I am pleased that today the Executive Council approved a package of measures to strengthen and enhance our effort to improve air quality. This is a very comprehensive package and this includes measures to provide adequate LPG filling stations for taxis within very clearly set time frame.

It also include measures to take forward the conversion of the public light buses to LPG with, as in the case of taxi, Government support. And to put forward measures to encourage all the other diesel vehicles, whether they be buses and other goods vehicles, to use low-sulphur diesel instead of the diesel we have today. Air quality improvement is not something we can achieve overnight. But I am quite confident with the measures we have announced today, every year we'll see improvement in air quality, and by 2005, our air quality will be as good as New York or London.

The Secretary for the Environment and Food will be presenting these measures in detail at a press conference this afternoon. She, in fact, will also be visiting Guangzhou later on this week to have discussions with regard to areas of cooperation in environmental protection issues, particularly air quality issues.

Dealing with the quality of air is essential to our health, essential to maintaining our standing as an international financial centre. And I believe this package will meet the needs of our community and will have the support of the entire community.

Chief Executive's transcript (Chinese Part)

End/Tuesday, May 9, 2000

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