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COMMUNICATIONS
the New Territories at the Shek Lei Resettlement Estate. Temporary post offices were provided for the 24th Congress of the Federation of Commonwealth Chambers of Commerce and the 28th Exhibi- tion of Hong Kong Products.
Four postage stamp issues were made during the year. As part of a series of stamps to commemorate Lunar New Year, two stamps in values of 10 cents and $1.30 were issued in January to commemorate the "Year of the Dog'. In March there was a further issue of two stamps to publicise the Hong Kong pavilion at Expo '70. The stamps in the 15 cents and 25 cents denominations depicted the Expo symbol. To commemorate the Tung Wah Hospital group centenary, two stamps in 10 cents and 50 cents denomination were issued in April. A 10 cents stamp was also issued in August to promote Hong Kong's participation in the Asian Productivity Year 1970. First Day Covers were sold on each occasion. The popular pictorial Christmas aerogrammes were again placed on sale this year.
The year has been one of expansion of services, especially in regard to letters (+ 20 per cent) and air parcels posted (+ 25 per cent). The reduced Comprehensive Certificate of Origin require- ments of the United States also brought about a sizeable increase in postings of surface parcels to that country. The introduction of the parcel service to the People's Republic of China in October initially more than doubled all parcel postings, though the level of traffic subsequently declined somewhat.
The increase in business during the year aggravated some staffing and accommodation problems. Plans are in hand for relieving the shortage of accommodation and attention is being given to the other problems.
This year saw the introduction of mechanised sorting in the Hong Kong Post Office in the form of a newspaper and packet sorting machine, which is intended largely to give the staff some experience on this sort of equipment before the handling of mails is transferred to new offices currently being planned.
TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES
The Postmaster General, as the Telecommunication Authority, administers the Telecommunication Ordinance and is responsible