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The Government has accepted the advice of the Disaster Relief Fund Advisory Committee, and approved a $2 million grant from the Disaster Relief Fund to Hong Kong Red Cross for emergency relief to flood victims in Guangxi, Hunan and Jiangxi Provinces.
This is further to two disbursements last month totalling $3 million for emergency relief to flood victims in Guizhou, Hunan and Jiangxi Provinces. It takes the total value of grants for flood victims on the Mainland to $5 million.
The committee hopes that the grant helps provide relief to flood victims in the three provinces. To ensure that the money will be used for the designated purposes, the committee will ask Hong Kong Red Cross to submit an evaluation report and an audited account on the use of the grant after the relief project has been completed.
The Disaster Relief Fund was established in December, 1993, for emergency disaster relief in places outside Hong Kong. The Disaster Relief Fund Advisory Committee is responsible for advising the Government on the policy and practices regarding the disbursement of funds for disaster relief, advising on specific amounts to specific recipients, and monitoring the use of grants.
The committee is chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration. Members include the Hon Jasper Tsang Yok-sing, the Hon Andrew Liao Cheung-sing, the Hon Mrs Sophie Leung Lau Yau-fun, Dr the Hon Kwok Ka-ki, Mr Michael Lai Kam-cheung, Mr Irving Koo Yee-yin, the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury and the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food.
Ends/Tuesday, August 1, 2006
Issued at HKT 19:04
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