COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSPORT
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counter positions in the main public hall, the rehousing of the registration section in more spacious accommodation, and the provision of accommodation for training centre facilities.
Alteration work at the Kwun Tong post office was carried out early in the year to provide additional accommodation necessary for the extension of the counter and the sorting office to cater for fast growing development in the district.
The feasibility mechanisation layouts for the new General Post Office on Hong Kong Island and the new transit and sorting office at Hung Hom were finalised by the British Post Office Consultancy Services, and the detailed planning of the new buildings is now in hand.
Three 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 February to commemorate 'the Year of the Rat'. In October, there was a further issue of one stamp, of $1 denomination, to mark the official opening of Hong Kong's cross-harbour tunnel. To commemorate the Silver Wedding of Her Majesty the Queen, two stamps in the denominations of 10 cents and 50 cents were issued in November. First Day Covers were sold on each occasion. The popular pictorial Christmas aerogrammes were again placed on sale this year.
Telecommunication Services
The Postmaster General, as the Telecommunication Authority, administers the Telecommunication Ordinance and is responsible for the control and supervision of all telecommunication services operating within and from Hong Kong. The Tele- communication Division of the Post Office licences and inspects installations operating under the ordinance, monitors radio transmissions and investigates interference. The division also provides an advisory service to the government and co-ordinates the communication requirements of government departments.
Overseas communication facilities are provided by Cable and Wireless Ltd. A total of 254 telephone and 521 telegraph circuits to all parts of the world are provided by submarine cable, HF radio, satellite and tropospheric scatter systems.
A submarine cable with a capacity of 80 telephone channels extends westwards to Singapore and eastwards to Guam where it is extended by other cable systems to Japan and the United States.
Two satellite earth station antennae provide direct links to both east and west by way of the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean satellites. The facilities available to Hong Kong by satellite include the international transmission and reception of colour television programmes. A specially equipped telecine studio has been established to provide facilities for news agencies to transmit news items in colour to other agencies throughout the world. HF radio systems continue to play a useful role and provide communication facilities to 12 countries.
The computerised Message Switching Centre operated by Cable and Wireless handles the traffic of the public telegram service, airline operations and other com- mercial organisations. The system is one of the largest installations of its type in the