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WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 1975
ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL YEAR FOR GOVERNMENT LOTTERIES PREDICTED
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PLANS FOR THIS YEAR'S FIRST GOVERNMENT LOTTERY, WHICH WILL DE PUT ON SALE SHORTLY, ARE WELL AFOOT.
MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNMENT LOTTERIES MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE ARE GIVING THE FINISHING TOUCHES TO THE PLANS WHICH WILL BE ANDGUNCED LATER THIS WEEK.
THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE, MR. KAI-YIN CHAU, TODAY PREDICTED ANOTHER RECORD-SMASHING SUCCESS FOR THIS YEAR JUDG 1 NG FROM THE OVERWHELMING RESPONSE OF THE COMMUNITY IN THE PAST.
HE NOTED THAT DUE TO THE INCREASING PUBLIC AWARENESS IN THE PASIC OBJECTIVES OF THE LOTTERY SCHEME IN PROMOTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG'S SOCIAL SERVICES THE SALES OF GOVERNMENT LOTTERIES ROSE EVERY YEAR.
HE SAID THAT THE NET INCOME DERIVED FROM THE PROCEEDS OF EACH LOTTERY SALE WAS PUT INTO THE LOTTERIES FUND FOR SUBSEQUENT ALLOCATION AS GRANTS AND LOANS TO VARIOUS LOCAL CHARITABLE AND WELFARE ORGANISATIONS FOR SOCIAL WELFARE ACTIVITIES.
SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THE LOTTERY SCHEME 13 YEARS AGO, SOME $60 MILLION FROM THE FUND HAS BEEN ALLOCATED TO OVER 100 BODIES.
AS PART OF ITS PLAN TO BOOST THE INCOME TO MEET THE EVER- INCREASING DEMAND FOR SOCIAL SERVICES, MR. CHAU SAID, THE COMMITTEE WAS PLANNING TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF DRAWS.
HE RECALLED THAT ONLY TWO DRAWS WERE HELD IN 1962/63, - THE YEAR WHEN GOVERNMENT LOTTERIES WERE FIRST INTRODUCED. HOWEVER THE NUMBER OF DRAWS GRADUALLY INCREASED IN THE FOLLOWING YEARS. LAST YEAR ALONE, 10 DRAWS WERE HELD, RESULTING IN A RECORD NET
INCOME FOR THE FUND OF $5.7 MILLION.
THE GOVERNMENT LOTTERIES MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE IS A STATUTORY BODY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PUBLICITY, MANAGEMENT AND PROMOTION OF SALES OF GOVERNMENT LOTTERIES.
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THE COMMITTEE COMPRISES THREE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS MR. KAI-YIN CHAU, A BANKER MR. DAVID WU CHUNG-SHING, AN INDUSTRIALIST, AND MISS LYDIA DUNN, A COMPANY DIRECTOR AND THREE OFFICIAL MEMBERS.
THE OFFICIAL MEMBERS ARE MR. T.H. BARMA, ASSISTANT FINANCIAL SECRETARY- MR. S.A.S. DUNLOP, CHIEF TREASURY ACCOUNTANT AND MISS ANNE CHAN SUET-MAN, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE. MR. G.A.E. RAHMIN IS THE SECRETARY TO THE COMMITTEE.
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