Issued by Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government Information Services
Garden Road, 5th-8th Floors, Murray Building, Hong Kong. Tel: 2842 8777
Monday, December 1, 1997
CONTENTS
========
1. CE welcomes Heritage Foundation's findings
2. Financial Secretary in Kuala Lumpur
3. Progress of follow-up action on contaminated medicine
4. Voter registration drive in full swing
5. Bills Committee to expediate scrutiny of MPF legislation
6. Housing remains top concern of people
7. Teaching medium committee completes vetting
8. Director of Administration and Development appointed
9. Results of POA discretionary places announced
10. Non-local courses must be registered or exempted
11. Voter registration leaflets widely distributed
12. Opening of Tsuen Wan Environmental Resource Centre
13. Proposals for alteration of 1997/98 valuation lists
14. Unlicensed clubhouse operator fined
15. Free Chiu Chow opera at City Hall
16. Water storage figure
1. CE welcomes Heritage Foundation's findings
******************************************
The Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa, welcomes the
1998 Index of Economic Freedom released by the Heritage
Foundation today (Monday), which shows that Hong Kong
continues to be the freest economy in the world.
The results were presented to Mr Tung this morning
by a high-level delegation from the Heritage Foundation
and the Wall Street Journal, headed by Dr Kim Holmes, Vice
President of the Heritage Foundation; and Mr Gordon Crovitz,
Vice President of Dow Jones & Company.
Commenting on the Index, which according to the
Heritage Foundation is used as a guide by investors
seeking profitable destinations for their capital, Mr Tung
stressed that Hong Kong would continue to make every effort
to maintain freedom in trade and enhance further the
competitive edge of its economy.
While noting that Hong Kong had maintained the position
as the freest economy in the world for the fourth
consecutive year, Mr Tung said that the study by the
Heritage Foundation and Wall Street Journal also recognised
that the territory's economic structure had remained
unchanged after the Handover.
"Our economy is vibrant as ever and we are as committed
to free trade as before," he said.
The Chief Executive shared the Heritage Foundation's
view that many Asian countries had enjoyed economic success
because they possessed not only economic freedom, but also
its necessary counterpart - economic responsibility.
In this regard, the study points out that people in
Hong Kong believe in individual responsibility. Many of
them prefer to rely on high savings than welfare programmes.
They also believe that in such an environment and with hard
work, they do have a chance of becoming rich themselves.
End
2. Financial Secretary in Kuala Lumpur
***********************************
At a meeting with the Finance Ministers of ASEAN plus
six (Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and US) in
Kuala Lumpur this (Monday) afternoon, the IMF Managing
Director, Mr Michel Camdessus, presented a progress report
on the IMF Study on Hedge Funds and their Role in Market
Dynamics. During the discussion on the report, the
Financial Secretary, Mr Donald Tsang, suggested that, other
than monitoring the activities of hedge funds, the "below
the line" hedging activities of domestic banking systems
should also be monitored. His suggestion was supported by
Mr Camdessus and the other Finance Ministers attending the
meeting. Mr Camdessus undertook to examine this suggestion
in the Fund's further work on the Study.
"The volatility of funds has come about mainly because
of the advance in hedging techniques, sometimes using
derivative tools. With hedging, even foreign direct
investments can lead to capital outflows, particularly if
our domestic banks provide the counterparty to that hedge.
In other words, the hedging activities of foreign and
domestic investors are putting a tremendous strain on
domestic banking systems. They effectively push up interest
rates and depress exchange rates," Mr Tsang said.
"I believed it would be useful from a banking
supervisory point of view to monitor the "below the line"
hedging activities of the domestic banking systems on behalf
of investors and corporations. Such activities impose large
risks on the banking system that ultimately show up in
rising interest rates or falling exchange rates."
"From our experience, it is difficult to distinguish
between speculation and genuine hedging. However, this does
not mean that we should not monitor them from the
perspective of understanding the systemic risks they have
created for the banking system."
The meeting between the IMF Executive Director and the
Finance Ministers was held in the margins of the Finance
Ministers' Meeting of ASEAN plus six convened by the Deputy
Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Malaysia between
November 30 and December 2 to discuss the regional currency
turmoil.
End
3. Progress of follow-up action on contaminated medicine
*****************************************************
The Department of Health today (Monday) released the
progress of the action taken to follow up the clients who
were dispensed with the contaminated anti-fever syrup from
the Dispensary of the Cheung Sha Wan Jockey Club between
November 17 and 25.
"Out of 144 clients affected, 112 had been assessed by
doctors and all were found to be well at examination," a
department spokesman said.
"Two clients were referred by the Department to
hospitals because of their parents' concern for diarrhoea
and fever. The attending doctors of these two cases
confirmed that both patients were in good conditions.
"The parents of another patient with underlying chronic
condition had requested the Department to advance his
appointment with a specialist for an earlier follow-up
assessment."
The spokesman said another 30 parents were satisfied
with the explanation given by department staff over the
telephone or home visits.
"Of these, 21 chose not to bring their children back
for examination because they were well while the remaining
nine would consider coming back later," he said.
"Only two clients could not be reached by telephone
and home visits. They were found out of town."
Since Saturday evening, the special hotline set up by
the Department had received 57 calls, the spokesman said.
Of this, 48 callers were not affected by the incident
but raised questions about anti-fever syrup. The other nine
callers belonged to the affected group and appropriate
advice were given.
The spokesman said over the weekend, two new clients
had been identified to have received contaminated anti-fever
syrup and they brought to 146 the total number of clients
affected.
These two new cases were Hospital Authority (HA)
clients who received prescriptions from the Accident and
Emergency Units of two HA hospitals and collected anti-fever
syrup from the Cheung Sha Wan Jockey Club Clinic during the
period.
"One of the new clients was satisfied with the
explanation given and he indicated that there was no need
to bring his child back for assessment as he was in good
health. The remaining new case attended the Cheung Sha Wan
Jockey Club Clinic and was found to be well," he said.
In summary, the spokesman added, of the 146 clients
affected by the incident, the Department had contacted 144
and provided explanation and counselling to parents and
physical examinations to children as appropriate.
End
4. Voter registration drive in full swing
**************************************
The Registration and Electoral Office (REO) is in top
gear conducting a large-scale voter registration exercise in
the territory in preparation for the first Legislative
Council elections of the Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region next May.
The 60-member Legislative Council will be made up of 20
seats to be returned from five geographical constituencies
through direct elections, 30 seats from 28 functional
constituencies and 10 seats from the 800-member Election
Committee, which will be formed through subsector elections
in early April 1998.
Briefing the media today (Monday) on the progress of
the exercise, the Chairman of the Electoral Affairs
Commission, Mr Justice Woo Kwok-hing, said that to make the
elections a success, the paramount task now was to sign up
as many electors as possible and to update the electoral
roll.
"We are moving full steam ahead to compile three
separate provisional registers for public inspection in
mid-February: one for the five geographical constituencies,
one for the 28 functional constituencies and the other for
the subsectors," he said.
As a result of a redrawing of the boundaries of
geographical constituencies, starting from this month, over
2.5 million electors already on the electoral roll for
geographical constituencies will be informed by mail of the
new constituency they belong.
Those who have not received such advice later this
month are requested to write to the REO or call its hotline
- 2891 1001 - without delay. Electors should tell the REO
of any change to their address or any correction to their
particulars.
About 30,000 voter registration ambassadors will be
mobilised by the Home Affairs Department from December 6 to
12 to make door-to-door visits to every household across the
territory.
To expedite voter registration for functional
constituencies and Election Committee subsectors, the REO
has already sought membership lists from major
organisations, chambers of commerce, trade and professional
bodies and relevant institutions.
A simplified procedure, called registration by way of
notification, has been introduced to enable the Electoral
Registration Officer (ERO) to register eligible functional
constituency electors/subsector voters on the basis of
information in hand so that they need not apply for
registration.
For example, if a person has already been registered in
a functional constituency, he will receive a notification
from the ERO informing him of the functional constituency
and the subsector in which he will be registered.
If he has been registered as an elector in a
geographical constituency but not in any functional
constituency although he is eligible to be registered in
one, he may receive a notification from the ERO informing
him that he is provisionally registered in that functional
constituency and its corresponding subsector, or an
appropriate subsector.
Notification letters are being sent to about 150,000
such eligible electors. This will be followed by the
sending of appeal letters to those who have not yet been
registered.
Mr Justice Woo especially urged eligible electors in
eight new functional constituencies to sign up as early as
possible.
The eight new functional constituencies are:
Agriculture and Fisheries; Insurance; Transport; Sports,
Performing Arts, Culture and Publication; Import and Export;
Textiles and Garment; Wholesale and Retail; and Information
Technology. In addition, the Labour functional constituency
will have one more seat in the 1998 elections.
A seminar will be held at the Theatre of the City Hall
Low Block in the afternoon of December 11 to further explain
registration procedures to eligible functional constituency
electors and voters for sub-sectors of the Election
Committee.
Mr Justice Woo has written to bureau chiefs to seek
their assistance in appealing to relevant organisations to
take part in the seminar.
Staff of the Home Affairs Department will visit major
organisations later this month to remind them to advise
their members to register before the deadline closes on
January 16.
Details of registration procedures for functional
constituencies and subsectors can be found in a booklet of
guidance notes compiled by the REO. The booklet is now
available at the REO on the 10th floor, Harbour Centre, 25
Harbour Road, Wan Chai and on the 10th floor, Guardian
House, 32 Oi Kwan Road, Wan Chai; district offices all over
the territory and the web site,
"http://www.info.gov.hk/reo/index.htm".
Two final registers containing the names of electors
who are entitled to vote in the geographical and functional
constituencies will be published in mid-March. A final
register of members of the Election Committee will be
published within seven days after the results of the
subsector elections are published.
End
5. Bills Committee to expediate scrutiny of MPF legislation
********************************************************
At the first meeting of the Provisional Legislative
Council (PLC) Bills Committee on Provident Fund Schemes
Legislation (Amendment) Bill 1997 today (Monday), members
agreed to expediate the scrutiny of the Bill and agreed that
nine meetings be held within two weeks for detailed
examination of the contents of the Bill.
The PLC approved the first and second readings of the
Bill on November 26.
A government spokesman said that the purpose of setting
up the Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) system was to offer
retirement protection to members of the workforce. The MPF
system was an employment-related retirement system whereby
contributions were made by members of the workforce and
their employers and, upon retirement, the scheme members
would receive benefits that were derived from the
contributions made during their working life and the
investment returns arising from such contributions.
The spokesman said that recently, there had been a lot
of comments on the Residual Provident Fund Scheme (RPFS)
under the MPF system.
He said: "The principal ordinance passed in 1995
specifies that the RPFS is to provide the last resort for
any person who is unable to join an MPF scheme, as a means
to comply with the statutory requirement, so that no one
would be forced into a position of breaching the Ordinance
not out of his wish."
The RPFS, like other MPF schemes, will be operated by
trustees in the market.
In discussing the operation of the RPFS, some members
of the MPF subcommittee of the previous LegCo were worried
that only a small number of people would be eligible for
entry into the RPFS. This would reduce the cost-
effectiveness of the scheme and incur higher administrative
costs which would eventually be borne by scheme member.
Therefore, the Sub-committee agreed, after thorough
discussions, that the "no-rejection" provision be included
to prohibit trustees from rejecting any person who is
interested in joining their schemes.
Details of the "no-rejection" provision include:
* Operation: All approved trustees shall not reject
applications made by employers/employees or self-employed
persons for joining their schemes.
* Disclosure of information: All trustees must
disclose to scheme members a series of information such as
fee levels and structures, investment options and
application procedures.
* No delaying: The trustee must issue a notice of
acceptance to the applicant within 30 days upon the
submission of the information required for his application
and written acceptance of the scheme terms by the applicant.
The spokesman said: "With the implementation of the
'no-rejection' provision and its stringent requirements,
there is no possibility that a scheme member cannot join an
MPF scheme. The function of the RPFS as a last resort
scheme would become redundant. Therefore, the government
proposes that the provision of setting up the RPFS be
deleted in the Bill.
"The Government also proposes that an MPF scheme should
be required to provide a 'capital preservation product' for
scheme members to choose," he added.
He said the function of the "capital preservation
product" would protect low-income earners from the erosion
of their contributions by administrative fees or avoid
unnecessary investment risks, and while operating, funds of
the "capital preservation products" should only be invested
in short-term quality bonds or banks deposits. Trustees
should only deduct investment management fees from
investment returns when such returns exceed the bank's
savings deposit rate.
End
6. Housing remains top concern of people
*************************************
Problems relating to housing continued to top the list
of most often mentioned issues affecting residents,
according to the Home Affairs Bureau's latest bimonthly
public opinion survey.
Conducted between November 10 and 14, the survey found
that housing-related problems were the biggest concern of 62
per cent of the 1,526 respondents, which was only one
percentage point lower than was recorded in the September
survey.
The number of people who felt that the Government had
handled the problem well remained relatively unchanged at 14
per cent (up from 13 per cent), while 68 per cent of people
(down from 72 per cent) considered that Government had
exerted effort in solving this top concern.
Economy-related problems were the second major concern
of the respondents, being mentioned by 29 per cent (up from
12 per cent) of them. Among this group of people, 32 per
cent were worried about inflation and the high cost of
living (down from 37 per cent). Another 25 per cent (up
sharply from eight per cent) said fluctuations in the stock
markets had affected them.
A bureau spokesman said: "This could partly be
explained by the sharp fluctuations in the stock market in
the last two weeks of October. Another negative factor
could be the two-day bank run on the International Bank of
Asia triggered by unsubstantiated rumours.
"However, the unease that some people felt over the
stock market and banking situation was quickly mitigated by
the Government's steadfast position to protect the Hong Kong
dollar and its linkage to the US greenback, and the Chief
Executive and the Financial Secretary's public commitment to
use our foreign exchange reserves to preserve the stability
of the local banking system.
"Confidence in the local economy and financial services
was substantially restored by public statements of support
by the US Federal Reserve Chairman, Mr Alan Greenspan; and
International Monetary Fund Managing Director, Mr Michel
Camdessus, and their positive evaluation of the
Administration's handling of the recent difficulties in the
stock market and banking sector," he added.
The percentage of people mentioning labour as a problem
for them has gone up slightly from 19 per cent in September
to 24 per cent. However, only 76 per cent of them were
concerned about unemployment, which was lower than the 84
per cent recorded two months earlier, while 24 per cent (up
from 14 per cent) were bothered by the "low wages".
The survey, seventy-third in the series, also revealed
that Hong Kong's future as a problem was mentioned only by
five per cent of the respondents interviewed over the phone,
up only by one percentage point.
Meanwhile, fewer people (64 per cent) expected the
existing situation to improve or remain unchanged in the
coming 12 months, compared with 82 per cent in September,
although 70 per cent were satisfied with the present
situation (down from 81 per cent) while fewer people, 72 per
cent, said that they were confident Hong Kong would continue
to be prosperous and stable (down from 80 per cent).
The people's satisfaction rate of Government's overall
performance has, however, gone down slightly from 53 per
cent to 45 per cent.
End
7. Teaching medium committee completes vetting
*******************************************
The Vetting Committee (Medium of Instruction Guidance)
has completed vetting of proposals by secondary schools
regarding choice of medium of instruction (MOI) from the
1998-99 school year.
The Government has announced that most secondary
schools in Hong Kong should adopt Chinese for teaching all
academic subjects, starting with their 1998-99 Secondary 1
intake and progressing each year to a higher level of
secondary education. Cantonese is the mother tongue of most
students in Hong Kong.
The Chairman of the Vetting Committee (Medium of
Instruction Guidance), Mr Moses Cheng, has advised the
Director of Education of 124 applications to use English as
the MOI. One hundred schools meet the requirements.
Mr Cheng said that in considering the proposals from
schools, the Vetting Committee adopted the criteria
previously announced in the Education Department's "Medium
of Instruction Guidance for Secondary Schools". These are
student ability, teacher capability, and support strategies
and programmes.
"We have visited a number of schools. Where
appropriate, we have also considered advice of the Education
Department's Advisory Inspectorate Division and Curriculum
Development Institute," he said.
The Vetting Committee agreed that schools with intake
of students whose mother tongue is not Chinese should be
regarded as exceptional cases in considering the Medium of
Instruction Grouping Assessment percentage of their student
intakes.
The Education Department has informed schools of the
outcome of their applications this (Monday) morning.
If there are appeals, they may be lodged on or before
December 15 (Monday), 1997 to be considered by a separate
committee chaired by an non-official.
The Senior Assistant Director of Education (1), Mr S M
Tsui, said Government's aim is to help students learn more
effectively and to be biliterate and trilingual.
"Schools using English as medium of instruction must
enhance students' proficiency in the Chinese language," he
said.
"We in the Education Department will help schools in
the implementation of the Medium of Instruction Guidance.
We will closely monitor schools for compliance and we will
apply sanctions where necessary."
The Vetting Committee comprises the Chairman of the
Board of Education, Mr Moses Cheng; the Chairman of Hong
Kong Examinations Authority, Mr Joseph Chow; and Senior
Assistant Director of Education (1), Mr S M Tsui.
End
8. Director of Administration and Development appointed
****************************************************
The Government announced today (Monday) the appointment
of Mr Stephen Lam as Director of Administration and
Development in the Department of Justice with effect from
December 1, 1997.
As the head of the department's Administration and
Development Division, the Director of Administration and
Development assists the Secretary for Justice in overseeing
the administration and strategy co-ordination of the
Department as well as the department's accountability to the
Legislative Council. He also oversees the department's
media and public relations.
"Mr Lam is well-placed for his new appointment to
complement the work of the senior directorate in the
Department of Justice," the Secretary for the Civil Service,
Mr W K Lam, said. "He has a wealth of administrative
experience so essential to the effective functioning of the
post."
Following is a brief biographical note on Mr Lam:
Mr Stephen Lam Sui-lung, JP
---------------------------
Aged 42. Mr Stephen Lam joined the civil service in
1978 and rose to his present rank of AOSGB1 in January 1996.
He has held appointments in a variety of departments and
branches, including the Economic Services Branch, the Chief
Secretary's Office, Trade and Industry Branch and
Constitutional Affairs Branch. He was Director, Handover
Ceremony Co-ordination Office until July 1997.
End
9. Results of POA discretionary places announced
*********************************************
Results of the allocation of discretionary places for
school entry to all government and aided primary schools in
September 1998 under the Primary One Admission (POA) System
will be released on (Thursday) December 4.
Among the some 69,000 applicants, about 39,000 will
each be offered a discretionary place.
Parents are advised, whether their children have been
interviewed by the school or not, to check the result of
their application from the school they applied for a Primary
One place on Thursday (December 4) or December 5 between
9 am and 5 pm.
Registration of successful applicants will take place
on December 8 (Monday) and December 9 during school hours.
Parents whose children have been offered a Primary One
place are advised to note carefully the registration
procedures and requirements of individual schools, such as
the parent's copy of the Application Form for POA and the
number of photographs, to be brought along to the school for
registration purpose.
Registration of the children with the schools will be
regarded as binding on both parties.
Parents who cannot register within the specified period
should notify the schools concerned to make alternative
arrangements.
Failing that, they would be deemed to have given up the
discretionary places.
Under the POA System, a government or aided primary
school can admit children to fill up to a maximum of 65 per
cent of its total Primary One places as discretionary
places.
The remaining places will be reserved for Central
Allocation at a later stage.
Since some schools are oversubscribed for their
discretionary places, it is natural that some children may
not be able to secure a Primary One place at this stage.
Parents of these children, together with those who only
intend to take part in Central Allocation will be informed
by letter some time in late February or early March next
year to make their choices at a Distribution/Collection
Centre in their home net.
The Education Department will then allocate a Primary
One place to the children in their home net.
Parents are advised that once their children have been
allocated a Primary One place, they cannot take part in the
POA System again in future.
Detailed procedures of Central Allocation will be
announced later.
End
10. Non-local courses must be registered or exempted
************************************************
The Education Department today (Monday) reminded
operators of non-local higher and professional education
courses that they must first secure their registration or
exemption status with the Non-local Courses Registry before
conducting their courses in Hong Kong from December 1, 1997
onwards.
For existing courses which have already commenced
before December 1, the Non-local Higher and Professional
Education (Regulation) Ordinance provides a six-month grace
period. Operators of these existing courses should secure
the registration or exemption status before the end of the
grace period on June 1, 1998.
"Course operators who fail to comply with the
registration or exemption requirement are liable on
conviction to a fine of $25,000 and to imprisonment for two
years," a department spokesman said.
"In addition, any person who publishes false or
misleading advertisements on non-local courses is liable on
conviction to a fine of $25,000 and to imprisonment for two
years.
"If any person publishes an advertisement to induce
enrolment in a non-local course which is not registered or
exempted, he also commits an offence and is liable on
conviction to a fine of $25,000 and to imprisonment for two
years," the spokesman said.
"However, this does not apply to advertisement of a
proposed course which is published to test the market. As
for courses which are required to be registered by June 1,
1998, the offence will not take effect until that date," he
added.
Also starting from today, to ensure courses are
conducted in safe premises, operators of registered and
exempted courses must furnish particulars of the premises to
the Registry at least three months before conducting the
course in the premises.
Unless the premises are exempted under the Regulation
Rules, course operators must obtain prior approval before
using the premises for conducting the course. A course
operator who fails to comply with these requirements commits
an offence.
"We strongly encourage local consumers who plan to
enrol in any non-local higher academic or professional
education courses to choose courses which are registered or
exempted."
Students who wish to enquire about the registration
status of a course, and course operators who would like to
obtain more information regarding the Ordinance and its
implementation, may approach the Non-local Courses Registry
of the Education Department at Room 801, 8th Floor, Tai Sang
Commercial Building, 24-34 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, Hong
Kong (Telephone: 2520 0255).
Information leaflets and application forms for
registration are also available at the Registry.
End
11. Voter registration leaflets widely distributed
**********************************************
Over 120,000 promotion leaflets on voter registration
were distributed by Information Services Department today
(Monday) at 12 MTR stations and three KCRC stations.
The voter registration drive is launched for the first
SAR Legislative Council election next year. All Hong Kong
permanent residents who reach 18 years old and ordinarily
reside in Hong Kong are eligible to register as electors.
Special counters were set up at 12 MTR stations, namely
Central, Causeway Bay, Taikoo, Chai Wan, Tsim Sha Tsui,
Mongkok, Mei Foo, Kowloon Tong, Wong Tai Sin, Choi Hung,
Kwun Tong and Tsuen Wan. Meanwhile, leaflets could also be
obtained at the three KCRC stations special counters at Hung
Hum, Kowloon Tong and Sha Tin.
Moreover, the leaflets were also distributed to
passers-by at the exits of Central and Tsim Sha Tsui MTR
stations.
The exercise on voter registration, which began in
early November, will be closed on January 16, 1998.
End
12. Opening of Tsuen Wan Environmental Resource Centre
**************************************************
The Tsuen Wan Environmental Resource Centre (TWERC) was
opened today (Monday) to enhance the environmental awareness
of the community within the urban west catchment and help
extensively in expanding the geographical coverage of
environmental education facilities in Hong Kong.
Located in a historical house at Tak Wah Park, the
centre is a joint venture between the Environmental
Protection Department and the private sector financed by the
Environment and Conservation Fund (ECF) and the Woo Wheelock
Green Fund (WWGF).
The Conservancy Association has been awarded the
contract to operate the centre from 1997 to 1999.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Chairman of the
Environmental Campaign Committee (ECC), Mr Ronnie Wong,
said: "This is the first attempt to work with a Green Group
as partners in the promotion of public environmental
awareness."
To mark the opening of TWERC, Mrs Betty Tung, the wife
of the Chief Executive, has unveiled a Chinese plaque and a
Chinese couplet composed and written by her.
The Chinese plaque states: "Eco Place". The Chinese
couplet says: "Happy are people in this house environed by
green trees; Freely birds fly around this place surrounded
by bamboos."
"When I was composing the couplet for Eco Place, what
came to my mind was a picture showing an antique Hakka
cottage house environed by green trees and bathed in fresh
air, where elderly people can enjoy themselves either by
sitting comfortably under the trees, playing chess or
chatting with each other, and birds can sing joyfully and
take a rest peacefully," Mrs Tung said.
With the approval of the Antiquities and Monuments
Office, renovation work has been carried by the
Architectural Services Department to convert the historical
house into an environmental resource centre.
About $3.7 million has been spent on the renovation
while another $1.4 million will be used to operate the
centre for the first two years.
One of the officiating guests, Mr Peter Woo, said it
was the biggest project jointly financed by the ECF and
WWGF.
In order to reach out to the public in promoting
environmental education and awareness, the Resource Centre
provides various facilities and services, including: access
to the World Wide Web for environmental information, a
library, a computer room, an AV room, an Exhibition Area, a
Green Home Exhibition Area, and guided visits.
The Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands,
Mr Bowen Leung, said at the ceremony that four more
environmental resource centres were planned to be
established in other parts of the Territories in the coming
years.
"These centres will be located in Kowloon East, NT
East, NT North, and NT West, each to cater for a population
of about one million.
"We would try our best to bring these new centres into
operation as soon as possible," Mr Leung said.
The Tsuen Wan Environmental Resource Centre was opened
by ECC Chairman, Mr Ronnie Wong, together with three
officiating guests, the wife of the Chief Executive,
Mrs Betty Tung; Mr Peter Woo; Secretary for Planning,
Environment and Lands, Mr Bowen Leung, and four other
guests, Chairman of the Provisional Regional Council Ad Hoc
Committee on Waste Reduction, Mr Chow Ping-tim; Director of
Environmental Protection, Mr Robert J S Law; Founder
Chairman of ECC, Mrs Peggy Lam, and Chairman of The
Conservancy Association, Dr Ng Cho-nam.
End
13. Proposals for alteration of 1997/98 valuation lists
***************************************************
The Rating and Valuation Department announced today
(Monday) that it has dealt with all the 32,633 objections
to the new rateable values in the Valuation List which were
received from March 22 up to May 31 this year.
Approximately 21 per cent were reduced, the remainder either
being confirmed or withdrawn by the objector.
A spokesman for the department urged any ratepayer who
lodged an objection during the period mentioned above and
who has not yet received a notice of decision to contact
Mrs Yvonne Chun, Customer Services Officer of the Rating and
Valuation Department on 2805 7908 immediately.
The spokesman added that if the rateable value has been
reduced as a result of the objection, the amendment to the
rateable value and any adjustment to the rates payable will
be effective from April 1, 1997. If rates payable are
reduced, future rates demands will be adjusted to reflect
the change.
End
14. Unlicensed clubhouse operator fined
***********************************
A clubhouse operator was fined $10,000 by the South
Kowloon Magistracy today (Monday) after pleading guilty to
operating an unlicensed catering club in Chung King Mansion,
Tsim Sha Tsui.
The court heard that the certificate of exemption of
the club expired on March 31, 1997. Its operator was
reminded by officers of the Home Affairs Department's
Licensing Authority in April this year to cease operation
until it had been granted a licence.
However, when the officers conducted inspections in
June and September, they found that the clubhouse was still
in operation.
The operator was subsequently charged under Section 4
of the Clubs (Safety of Premises) Ordinance.
A spokesman for the department reminded the public that
anyone who operates or manages a club without a certificate
of compliance is liable to a maximum fine of $200,000 and
two years' imprisonment.
Enforcement action will continue to be taken against
unlicensed clubhouses to ensure that they are being operated
with proper regard for fire and structural safety, he said.
End
15. Free Chiu Chow opera at City Hall
*********************************
A Chiu Chow opera presented by Sun Hon Kong Chiu Chow
Opera Troupe will be held at 7.30 pm this Thursday (December
4) at the City Hall Concert Hall.
The opera is organised by the Central and Western
District Association for Culture and Art; co-organised by
the Central and Western Provisional District Board and
Central and Western District Office; and sponsored by the
Provisional Urban Council, Lions Club of Bayview Hong Kong
and Association of the Hong Kong Central and Western
District.
Admission is free. Tickets can be obtained on a first-
come-first-served basis at the Public Enquiry Services
Counter of the Central and Western District Office; Central
and Western District Association for Culture and Arts; and
Sheung Wan Civic Centre.
Enquiries can be made on 2852 3499.
End
16. Water storage figure
********************
Storage in Hong Kong's reservoirs at 9 am today
(Monday) stood at 86.4 per cent of capacity or 506.392
million cubic metres.
This time last year the reservoirs contained 557.673
million cubic metres of water, representing 95.2 per cent
of capacity.
End
