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The Government has accepted the advice of the Disaster Relief Fund Advisory Committee and approved a grant from the Disaster Relief Fund of $4 million to World Vision Hong Kong to undertake rice distribution projects for snowstorm victims in Anhui and Jiangxi on the Mainland.
The grant is further to a disbursement of $231.43 million made earlier for three provincial/municipal governments and four relief organisations to provide emergency relief to snowstorm victims in eight provinces/municipalities. It takes the total value of grants for snowstorm victims on the Mainland to $235.43 million.
Announcing the grant today (February 18), a government spokesman said that the committee hoped the grant to World Vision Hong Kong would help relieve the food shortage problem among snowstorm victims in Anhui and Jiangxi, which are among the hardest-hit provinces.
"To ensure that the money will be used for the designated purposes, the relief agency has been asked to submit an evaluation report and audited accounts on the use of the grant after the relief project has been completed," the spokesman said.
The Disaster Relief Fund Advisory Committee is responsible for advising the Government on policy and practices regarding the disbursement of funding for disaster relief from the Disaster Relief Fund, which was established in December 1993 for emergency disaster relief in places outside Hong Kong, as well as 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 Mr Jasper Tsang Yok-sing, Mr Andrew Liao Cheung-sing, Mrs Sophie Leung Lau Yau-fun, Dr 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 Labour and Welfare.
Ends/Monday, February 18, 2008
Issued at HKT 16:06
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