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THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 1976
THE SPOKESMAN ALSO POINTED OUT THAT, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY'S BUDGET PROPOSALS, THE PERCENTAGE RATES CHARGE ON THE RATEABLE VALUES FOR ASSESSED PREMISES IN THESE NEW AREAS WILL BE NINE PER CENT, THAT IS HALF THE PROPOSED NEW CHARGE OF 18 PER CENT FOR THE URBAN AREAS (PROPERTIES WITHOUT A GOVERNMENT WATER SUPPLY OR WITH ONLY AN UNFILTERED SUPPLY WILL PAY AT THE LESSER RATE OF SEVEN PER CENT AND EIGHT PER CENT RESPECTIVELY).
HOWEVER, BECAUSE ASSESSED RATEABLE VALUES ARE GENERALLY LOWER IN THESE AREAS, RATEPAYERS WILL BE PAYING, IN RESPECT OF AN AVERAGE TENEMENT FLOOR, ONLY A QUARTER TO A THIRD OF WHAT IS PAYABLE IN RESPECT OF SIMILAR FLOORS IN THE URBAN AREAS.
IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS RATES WILL BE AS FOLLOWS #
1977/78
1978/79
1979/80
1980/81
60 PER CENT OF THE FULL URBAN RATE
70 PER CENT OF THE FULL URBAN RATE
80 PER CENT OF THE FULL URBAN RATE
90 PER CENT OF THE FULL URBAN RATE
SO THAT NOT UNTIL APRIL 1, 1981 WILL THE FULL URBAN RATE BE CHARGED.
THE SPOKESMAN ADDED THAT SMALL VILLAGE HOUSES ARE NOW. FOR THE MOST PART, EXEMPT FOR ASSESSMENT TO RATES AND SO HAVE NOT BEEN INCLUDED IN THE VALUATION LISTS.
THE VALUATION LISTS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION BY THE PUBLIC AT THE TREASURY (CENTRAL GOVERNMENT OFFICES, WEST WING, 2ND FLOOR, ICE HOUSE STREET, HONG KONG) FOR 21 DAYS FROM SATURDAY, MARCH 6, 1976. THERE WILL ALSO BE COPIES OF THE RELEVANT LISTS AVAILABLE AT DISTRICT OFFICES. FOR EXAMPLE, THE LIST FOR YUEN LONG WILL BE AT THE YUEN LONG DISTRICT OFFICE.
ANYONE AGGRIEVED ON ANY OF THE GROUNDS LAID DOWN IN THE RATING ORDINANGE MAY, DURING THE 21 DAYS, SERVE A PROPOSAL IN THE SPECIFIED FORM ON THE COMMISSIONER FOR THE ALTERATION OF THE CONCERNED VALUATION LIST.
THE VALUATION LISTS CONTA IN SOME 14,700 ASSESSMENTS WITH A TOTAL RATEABLE VALUE OF NEARLY $115 MILLION.
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