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

Hongkong Post and Survey and Mapping Office (SMO) of the Lands Department have arrived at an agreement for the sale of popular map products published by SMO at selected post offices with effect from today (August 1).

The Postmaster General, Mr Luk Ping-chuen said, "Initially, six of our post offices are selected to sell popular map products published by SMO. Customers can now purchase a selection of reliable and up-to-date urban maps, town maps, countryside maps and tourist maps at these post offices."

"As part of our strategy to meet customer needs, we are keen to extend our selling network so as to allow our map products to reach the hands of the users in a more convenient manner," said Deputy Director of Lands (Survey & Mapping), Mr Yeung Kin-fai.

In addition to the two SMO Map Publications Centres, Government Publications Centre, District Survey Offices in the New Territories and designated bookstores, the maps of SMO are now available at General Post Office, Queen's Road Post Office, Wan Chai Post Office, Kowloon Central Post Office, Mongkok Post Office and Tuen Mun Central Post Office.

For enquiries of the above new service, please call the Hongkong Post hotline at 2921 2222 or the SMO hotline at 2231 3187. For map product details, please refer to the SMO web site at <www.info.gov.hk/landsd/mapping>.

A list of maps available at the selected post offices and full address of the selected post offices are shown at Annex I (doc format) and II (doc format).

End/Thursday, August 1, 2002

NNNN