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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1977
MEASURES TO CUSHION INCREASE IN RATEABLE VALUE
OF NON-PROFIT MAKING RECREATIONAL CLUBS
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THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, THE HON. PHILIP HADDON-CAVE, TODAY OUTLINED THE MEASURES GOVERNMENT WOULD TAKE TO CUSHION THE EFFECT OF THE INCREASE IN THE RATEABLE VALUE OF NON-PROFIT MAKING SPORTS AND RECREATIONAL CLUBS.
REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON. CHARLES YEUNG, MR. HADDON-CAVE SAID TO RECTIFY THE POSSIBLE ADVERSE EFFECTS OF THE INCREASE, NON-PROF IT MAKING SPORTS AND RECREATIONAL CLUBS ARE ELIGIBLE, ALONG WITH ALL OTHER PREMISES, FOR THE GENERAL
SCHEME OF RELIEF WHICH I ANNOUNCED IN THE BUDGET EARLIER THIS YEAR.+
UNDER THIS SCHEME OF RELIEF, HE SAID, THE RATES PAYABLE BY A RATEPAYER IN 1977-78 WOULD NOT BE MORE THAN ONE THIRD ABOVE THE RATES PAYABLE BY HIM IN 1976-77.
+SO IN THE EXTREME CASE AT THE UPPER END OF THE RANGE, WHERE THE RATEABLE VALUE FOR THE CLUB CONCERNED HAS INCREASED TWENTY-FOLD THE ACTUAL AMOUNT OF INCREASE IN THE RATES PAYABLE IN 1977-78 IS ONLY $345,+ HE POINTED OUT.
+THIS INCREASE SPREAD AMONGST THE CLUB'S PRESENT MEMBERSHIP, AMOUNTS TO ABOUT 55 CENTS PER MEMBER FOR THIS YEAR, HE ADDED.
AND FOR 1978-79, HE SAID, THE RATES PAYABLE IN 1977-76 FOR THIS PARTICULAR CLUB WOULD FURTHER INCREASE BY ABOUT $460.
+EVEN WHEN THE SCHEME OF RELIEF CEASES TO APPLY IN 1979-80 THE AMOUNT OF RATES PAYABLE BY EACH MEMBER OF A CLUB IS UNLIKELY TO AMOUNT TO MORE THAN A SMALL FRACTION OF MEMBERS' MONTHLY BILLS,+ HE NOTED.
MR. HADDON-CAVE EXPLAINED THAT THE REASON FOR INCREASE IN RATEABLE VALUE WAS THAT THE PREVIOUS VALUATIONS WERE BASED ON AN OUT-DATED FORMULA.
+THIS FORMULA WOULD HAVE PRODUCED VALUES WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN GENERALLY OUT OF LINE WITH THE VALUES OF OTHER CATEGORIES OF PREMISES. FURTHERMORE, IT WOULD ALSO HAVE PRODUCED VALUES AS BETWEEN ONE CLUB AND ANOTHER WHICH WOULD NOT HAVE ADEQUATELY REFLECTED THE VARIETY OF FACILITIES PROVIDED, HE SAID.
+THE COMMISSIONER OF RATING AND VALUATION THEREFORE ADOPTED A NEW APPROACH WHICH HAS RECENTLY BEEN UPHELD IN AN APPEAL TO THE LANDS TRIBUNAL, HE ADDED.
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