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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1981
TAI PO MARRIAGE REGISTRY GAINS POPULARITY
*****
WITH THE OPENING OF THE TA PO BIRTH AND MARRIAGE REGISTRY IN JULY 1979, MARRIAGE REGISTRATION SERVICES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED AND EXPANDED.
+THIS REGISTRY IS VERY POPULAR AMONG RURAL RESIDENTS WHO WANT TO GET MARRIED. IT HAS ALSO HELPED REDUCE MUCH PRESSURE FROM THE BUSY MARRIAGE REGISTRIES IN THE URBAN AREAS, THE DEPUTY REGISTRAR IN CHARGE OF THE REGISTRY, MR KWOK SAU-FUNG SAID TODAY (SUNDAY).
+THE OPENING OF THIS REGISTRY IS TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO RESIDENTS FROM THE NORTHERN PART OF TAI PO SUCH AS TAI MEI TUK, CHUNG MEI, WU KAU TANG, SAN UK VILLAGE AND OTHER EXTENSIVE AREAS IN SHA TIN, HE SAID. +HOWEVER, OUR RECORDS SHOW THAT MANY COUPLES MARRIED HERE CAME FROM THE URBAN AREAS.
+LAST YEAR, A TOTAL OF 3 500 MARRIAGES WAS PERFORMED AND 3 535 NOTICES OF INTENDED MARRIAGES TAKEN BY THIS REGISTRY, NEARLY 30 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL FIGURE IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, + HE SAID.
LAST YEAR THERE WERE 12 601 MARRIAGES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, AN INCREASE OF ABOUT 20 PER CENT COMPARED WITH THE 1979 TOTAL OF 10 323.
+THIS IS DUE TO TWO MAIN FACTORS: FIRSTLY, THE GROWING POPULATION IN THE NEW TERRITORIES IN RECENT YEARS, AND SECONDLY, THE FACT THAT VILLAGERS NOW REAL ISE THAT MARRIAGE REGISTRATION IS ESSENTIAL IN PROVING THE IR MARITAL STATUS WHEN APPLYING FOR PUBLIC HOUSING, PUBLIC ASSISTANCE, AS WELL AS IN TAXATION AND MIGRATION MATTERS,+ MR KWOK SAID.
HE SAID ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES OF APPLYING FOR MARRIAGE REGISTRATION IN THIS REGISTRY IS THAT IT SAVES EXTRA WAITING TIME.
+ONCE REGISTERED, COUPLES NEED TO WAIT ONLY 15 CLEAR DAYS, THE STATUTORY PERIOD FOR EXHIBITING MARRIAGE NOTICES, BEFORE THE CEREMONY CAN BE PERFORMED. WHEREAS IN SOME OF THE BUSIER REGISTRIES IN URBAN AREAS, THE WAITING TIME COULD BE SLIGHTLY LONGER,+
HE SAID.
THE REGISTRY, WHICH IS ON THE GROUND FLOOR OF THE TAI PO GOVERNMENT OFFICES BUILDING IN TING KOK ROAD, PROVIDES THE FOLLOWING FACILITIES.
(A)
(B)
(c)
A PICTURESQUE GARDEN WITH AN EXCELLENT BACKGROUND FOR PHOTOGRAPHS=
A BEAUTIFULLY DECORATED MARRIAGE CEREMONY HALL WITH A SEATING CAPACITY OF 20 AND ROOM FOR MANY STANDEES- AND
A COMFORTABLE BRIDAL ROOM WITH DRESSING TABLES AND LARGE MIRRORS.
THE REGISTRY
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