WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 1979
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MR. JONES SAID THAT THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS OF AIR POLLUTION IN KWAI CHUNG DECREASED LAST YEAR COMPARED WITH 1977, DESPITE A STEADY INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF REGISTERED FACTORIES WITH FUEL BURNING
INSTALLATIONS.
+FROM WHAT MEASUREMENTS WE HAVE IT WOULD APPEAR THAT AIR POLLUTION IN KWAI CHUNG IS NO WORSE THAN IN ANY OTHER INDUSTRIALISED AREA IN HONG KONG, HE SAID.
HE ADDED THAT SURVEILLANCE UNDER THE EXISTING CLEAN AIR ORDINANCE WAS BEING STEPPED UP AND THE AIR POLLUTION CONTROL DIVISION OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT WAS BEING STRENGTHENED.
IN 1978 THERE WERE 559 INSPECTIONS OF FUEL BURNING INSTALLATIONS IN KWAI CHUNG ALONE AND 33 APPLICATIONS FOR NEW CHIMNEY DESIGNS WERE PROCESSED.
HE SAID THE CLEAN AIR ORDINANCE ONLY DEALT WITH SMOKE, DUST AND GRIT EMISSIONS RESULTING FROM THE COMBUSTION OF FUEL AND IT PROVIDED NO SAFEGUARD AGAINST THE EMISSION OF OTHER TOXIC GASES TO THE ATMOSPHERE WHICH, BECAUSE THEY WERE OFTEN INVISIBLE, DID NOT GIVE RISE TO PUBLIC COMPLAINT.
+WHEN THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION UNIT IS PROPERLY OPERATING IT WILL PROVIDE A FULLY INSTRUMENTED AIR QUALITY MONITORING NETWORK, MR. JONES SAID.
INCREASED DEPRECIATION ALLOWANCE WILL BENEFIT MANUFACTURING SECTOR ******
THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR WILL BENEFIT FROM A PROPOSAL WHICH SEEKS TO INCREASE THE DEPRECIATION ALLOWANCE, UNDER THE INLAND REVENUE ORDINANCE, BY FIVE PER CENT TO 25 PER CENT, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, THE HON. PHILIP HADDON-CAVE, SAID AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
MOVING A MOTION ON THE PROPOSAL, MR. HADDON-CAVE SAID THE BOARD OF INLAND REVENUE HAD MADE A REVISED TABLE INTRODUCING THE AMENDED RATES, TO BE APPLICABLE TO BOTH FINAL 1978-79 AND PROVISIONAL 1979-80 ASSESSMENTS.
THE PRINCIPAL BENEFICIARIES OF THIS PROPOSAL, HE SAID, WOULD BE IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR, COVERING ELECTRONIC DATA PROCESSING EQUIPMENT, ELECTRONICS MANUFACTURING MACHINERY AND PLANT, PLASTIC MANUFACTURING MACHINERY AND PLANT INCLUDING MOULDS, SILK, TEXTILE AND CLOTHING MANUFACTURING MACHINERY AND PLANT, AND WEAVING, SPINNING, KNITTING AND SEWING MACHINERY,
AS A RESULT OF THE INCREASE. HE ADDED, THE NUMBER OF HEADS ATTRACTING THE 25 PER CENT RATE WOULD THUS BECOME 15 OUT OF A TOTAL OF 33.
AFTER ALLOWING FOR THE TWO INSTALMENT SYSTEM, THE COST TO THE REVENUE IN THE CURRENT FINANCIAL YEAR WILL BE $22.5 MILLION, SA ID MR. HADDON-CAVE.
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