-FEB-1990 17:44
GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT.
CONFI
852 521 7058
P.19
the exercise which aimed at replacing the 4.5 million
old identity cards within four years. Identity card
holders were required to come forward to exchange their
cards according to a phased programme based on age and
sex. The Immigration Department successfully completed the exercise in January 1987, three months ahead of schedule.
5
In order to implement the provision in the
Sino-British Joint Declaration relating to the right
of abode in Hong Kong and to facilitate the issue of BN(0) passports, HKG embarked on a second identity card re-issue exercise covering again the entire population
of Hong Kong. The second exercise which commenced on
1 July 1987 is a more difficult one than the first exercise, because Immigration officers are required to assess whether
a card holder has the right of abode in Hong Kong.
means that the card holder has to be interviewed and
This
his documentary evidence including travel documents examined
in addition to the normal registration steps.
Besides,
a cconomy measure HKG has recently decided to reduce the working hours (from 13 to 8 hours) in the six smaller
centres (out of a total of eight)
year.
as from April thin
Despite this, the present progress of the exercise
indicates that the original target completion date (i.e.
end 1991) could still be achieved.
Gui