FRIDAY, MAY 11, 1979
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GOVT ACCOUNTS FOR FEBRUARY 1979
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THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTS FOR FEBRUARY 1979 SHOW A SURPLUS OF $821.6 MILLION, COMPARED WITH A SURPLUS OF $440.1 MILLION IN FEBRUARY 1978.
TOTAL EXPENDITURE AT $906.1 MILLION WAS $243.9 MILLION MORE THAN IN FEBRUARY LAST YEAR.
TOTAL REVENUE AND RECEIPTS AT $1,727.7 MILLION WERE $625.4 MILLION MORE THAN FOR THE SAME MONTH IN 1978.
THIS HAS RESULTED IN AN ACCUMULATED SURPLUS OF $2,098 MILLION FOR THE FIRST 11 MONTHS OF THE 1978-79 FINANCIAL YEAR, COMPARED WITH A SURPLUS OF $1,396,8 MILLION FOR THE SAME PERIOD IN 1977-78.
BUT A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED TODAY (FRIDAY) THAT THE FINAL RESULTS FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR ENDING MARCH 31, 1979 ARE LIKELY TO BE MUCH LESS THAN THIS FIGURE.
EXPENDITURE NORMALLY EXCEEDS REVENUE DURING THE MONTH OF MARCH, AND ADDITIONALLY SOME $500 MILLION WAS PAID OUT DURING MARCH FOR PUBLIC HOUSING AND THE HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME.
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LORD SHAWCROSS GREATLY IMPRESSED BY DEVELOPMENTS
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THE RT HON. LORD SHAWCROSS, A LEADING BRITISH LEGAL PERSONALITY, WAS GREATLY IMPRESSED BY THE SCALE AND SPEED OF THE DEVELOPMENTS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES DURING HIS VISIT THERE TODAY (FRIDAY).
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ONE OF
ACCOMPANIED BY THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, LORD SHAWCROSS STARTED HIS NEW TERRITORIES TOUR AT TUEN MUN THE THREE MAJOR NEW TOWNS BEING DEVELOPED.
THEY ARRIVED AT TUEN MUN SHORTLY BEFORE 11.30 A.M. AND WAS MET BY THE DISTRICT OFFICER, MR. PETER NG, AND THE PROJECT MANAGER, MR. STAN BARDEN. THE PARTY THEN PROCEEDED TO A HIGH-RISE BUILDING FOR A BIRD'S EYEVIEW AND BRIEFING ON THE NEW TOWN.
LORD SHAWCROSS WAS TOLD THAT THE VAST DEVELOPMENT IN TUEN MUN AIMS AT PROVIDING AN IMPROVED URBAN ENVIRONMENT INCORPORATING ADEQUATE COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES TO SERVE A TARGET OF SOME 500,000 PEOPLE BY THE MID-1980'S. A TOTAL OF NINE PUBLIC HOUSING ÉSTATES WILL BE BUILT THERE.
AFTER SPENDING ABOUT HALF AN HOUR AT TUEN MUN, LORD SHAWCROSS AND THE GOVERNOR PROCEEDED TO OTHER DEVELOPING AREAS IN YUEN LONG AND HAD LUNCH WITH THE DISTRICT OFFICER, MR. MICHAEL CARTLAND.
THEY THEN CONTINUED TO LAU FAU SHAN WHERE THEY DID SOME SIGHTSEE INGS BEFORE RETURNING TO THE FANLING LODGE. LORD SHAWCROSS AND THE GOVERNOR LATER HAD DINNER WITH THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR. DAVID AKERS-JONES AND MRS. AKERS-JONES.
LORD SHAWCROSS ARRIVED HERE LAST FRIDAY (MAY 4) AND WILL LEAVE FOR CHINA ON SUNDAY (MAY 13).
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