**************************************

Hongkong Post today (Wednesday) hosted an opening ceremony of the Discovery Bay Post Office at Shop 12A, Ground Floor, Block C of the Discovery Bay Plaza, Discovery Bay, Lantau Island, bringing the total number of branch post offices in Hong Kong to 128.

Officiating at the opening ceremony today, the Postmaster General, Mr Robert Footman, JP was joined by the Chairman of Islands Provisional District Board, Mr Lam Wai-keung, JP and District Officer (Islands), Mr Patrick Chan Nim-tak, JP.

The new branch post office at Discovery Bay has adopted an innovative layout and interior design. It was open for business at 12 noon today, providing counter and postal delivery services including Speedpost acceptance facility to the local community. Its business hours are from 9.30 am to 5.00 pm from Monday to Friday, and from 9.30 am to 1.00 pm on Saturday. Its telephone number and facsimile number are 2987 6046 and 2987 6304 respectively.

In addition to the Discovery Bay Post Office, all seven branch post offices on outlying islands have commenced Speedpost acceptance service with effect from today. The extension of Speedpost acceptance network from 117 to 125 post offices is a major initiative Hongkong Post has undertaken to provide more convenient service to the customers.

End/Wednesday, August 26, 1998

NNNN