THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 1979
ON
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UNDER THE AMENDMENTS, LICENCE FEES FOR GENERAL OR MARINE RESTAURANTS EXCEEDING 450 SQ. METRES (4,500 SQ. FT.) IN AREA AND LIGHT REFRESHMENT RESTAURANTS EXCEEDING 350 SQ. METRES (3,500 sq. FT.) IN AREA IN THE NEW TERRITORIES WILL BE INCREASED RESPECTIVELY ON A PROGRESSIVE SCALE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE IR SIZES. THIS BRINGS THE FEES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES IN LINE WITH THOSE CHARGED IN THE URBAN AREAS.
IN THE PAST, THE MAXIMUM LICENCE FEE FOR GENERAL OR MARINE RESTAURANTS EXCEEDING 4,500 SQ. FT. IN SIZE WAS $3,000 AND IN THE CASE OF LIGHT REFRESHMENT RESTAURANTS EXCEEDING 3,500 SQ. FT. IT WAS $1,500.
EXPLAINING THE AMENDMENT. THE DIRECTOR OF NEW TERRITORIES SERVICES, MR. H.S. GREWAL, SAID THAT THE PLATFORM FOR CHARGING THE MAXIMUM LICENCE FEES FOR ANY GENERAL OR MARINE RESTAURANT WAS NOW EXTENDED FROM 4,500 SQ. FT. TO 50,000 $Q. FT. WHEREAS THE PLATFORM FOR A LIGHT REFRESHMENT RESTAURANT WAS EXTENDED FROM 3,500 SQ. FT. TO 10,000 SQ. FT.
+THEREFORE, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROGRESSIVE SCALE, THE MAXIMUM LICENCE FEES WILL BE INCREASED TO $35,000 FOR GENERAL OR MARINE RESTAURANTS AND $5,000 FOR LIGHT REFRESHMENT RESTAURANTS, + HE POINTED OUT.
+HOWEVER, LICENCE FEES FOR GENERAL RESTAURANTS SMALLER THAN 4,500 SQ. FT. AND FOR LIGHT REFRESHMENT RESTAURANTS SMALLER THAN 3,500 SQ. FT. WILL REMAIN UNCHANGED, HE INDICATED.
STATISTICS SHOW THAT, IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, THERE ARE AT PRESENT A TOTAL OF 622 GENERAL AND MARINE RESTAURANTS, ONLY 71 OF WHICH WILL BE AFFECTED BY THE NEW FEES, WITH REGARD TO THE 290 EXISTING LIGHT REFRESHMENT RESTAURANTS, ONLY ONE WILL BE AFFECTED.
+THERE ARE BASICALLY TWO REASONS FOR THE AMENDMENT, EXPLAINED.
MR. GREWAL
+FIRSTLY, THE INTENTION IS TO USE THE LICENCE FEES TO RECOVER THE COST OF ADMINISTERING THE RESTAURANT LICENSING SYSTEM IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, AND SECONDLY, THE AIM IS TO SPREAD THIS COST MORE EQUITABLY AMONG THE RESTAURANT OPERATORS,
+ACCORDING TO AN ACCOUNTING EXERCISE CARRIED OUT BY MY STAFF RECENTLY TO DETERMINE THE COST OF ADMINISTERING THE RESTAURANT LICENSING SYSTEM, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE TOTAL COST AMOUNTS TO OVER $1.6 MILLION PER YEAR WHILE THE REVENUE FROM LICENCE FEES IS ONLY ABOUT $0.5 MILLION.
+THE REVISED LICENCE FEES ARE EXPECTED TO BRING IN AN ADDITIONAL REVENUE OF ABOUT $0,4 MILLION PER ANNUM.
+HENCE, THERE WILL STILL BE A DEFICIT OF ABOUT $0.7 MILLION
EVEN AFTER THE NEW RATES ARE BROUGHT IN,+ HE ADDED.
IN KEEPING WITH THE GOVERNMENT'S METRICATION POLICY, THE FLOOR AREA OF THE RESTAURANTS WILL BE CONVERTED TO THE METRIC STANDARD UNDER THE METRICATION AMENDMENTS (PUBLIC HEALTH AND URBAN SERVICES ORDINANCE) ORDER 1979 WITH EFFECT FOM JULY 1, 1979.
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