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The Home Affairs Department (HAD) today (April 7) reminded Hong Kong residents affected by the tsunami disaster that occurred last December in South Asia to apply for one-off compassionate financial assistance from the "SHA Incorporated Tsunamis Relief Fund 2004" on or before the application deadline which falls on April 15, 2005 (Friday).

"To be eligible to apply, an applicant must be a Hong Kong permanent resident or a Hong Kong non-permanent resident with an unexpired limit of stay in Hong Kong, and his/her lost (dead or missing) family member has to meet similar residency requirements at the time of the disaster," an HAD spokesman said.

Information briefs detailing the application procedures and application forms are available at any District Office Public Enquiry Service Centre and can be downloaded from HAD's website: http://www.had.gov.hk.

Enquiries can be made to the HAD on 2835 2500 between 9am and 5pm from Mondays to Fridays and between 9am and noon on Saturdays.

"A committee, chaired by the Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs and comprising non-official members and Government representatives, has been set up to manage the fund.

"The committee will consider each case and decide on the amount of grants taking into account the merits and circumstances of individual applications and the financial position of the fund," he added.  

The fund was set up with donations raised in response to a government-coordinated fundraising event for tsunami victims. The majority of the donations are for distribution to five charity organisations for emergency relief operations while the rest have been set aside to help those tsunami-affected Hong Kong residents.

Ends/Thursday, April 7, 2005

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