FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1981
THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE RAILWAY DOES NOT MEAN TH` EDEVE PMENT OF THE SITES ADJACENT TO THE RAILWAY AREA WILL AUTOMAT JAY B +FROZEN+ SINCE IN ALL BUT A FEW CASES REDEVELOPMENT CAN BE PERMITTED, UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS. HOWEVER, AS A SAFEGUARD AGAINST POSSIBLE CONFLICT BETWEEN THE RAILWAY WORKS AND PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS, THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, THROUGH THE BUILDING AUTHORITY, HAS STATUTORY POWERS TO REFUŠE APPROVAL TO BUILDING PLANS IF HE CONSIDERS THEY ARE INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE RAILWAY.
OWNERS MAY BE ABLE TO ESTABLISH CLAIMS TO COMPENSATION WHERE THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS REQUIRES LEGAL STRUCTURES TO BE REMOVED, OR THE BUILDING AUTHORITY REFUSES TO APPROVE BUILDING PLANS.
A NUMBER OF TEMPORARY OR PERMANENT STREET ALTERATIONS MAY BE NECESSARY TO FACILITATE CONSTRUCTION OF THE RAILWAY, AND WHEN DETAILS OF THESE ARE FINALISED ANNOUNCEMENTS WILL BE MADE. BUSINES OWNERS WILL BE ENTITLED TO SUBMIT CLAIMS FOR BUSINESS LOSS. AS WITH THE MODIFIED INITIAL SYSTEM AND THE TSUEN WAN EXTENSION, OPERATORS OF SMALL SHOPS AND BUSINESSES WHOSE TRADE IS AFFECTED BY THE WORKS CAN APPLY FOR MONTHLY PAYMENTS UNDER AN ADVANCE PAYMENT SCHEME.
ALL CLAIMS MUST BE MADE IN WRITING TO THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS. THE TIME LIMIT FOR THE SUBMISSION OF CLAIMS IS IN MOST CASES ONE YEAR, AS LAID DOWN IN THE MTR (LAND RESUMPTION AND RELATED PROVISIONS) ORDINANCE. GENERAL ENQUIRIES CONCERNING THE PLAN SHOULD DE ADDRESSED IN THE FIRST INSTANCE TO CITY DISTRICT OFFICES.
SEPTEMBER'S EXTERNAL TRADE
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ACCORDING TO STATISTICS RELEASED TODAY BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT, THE PRICES OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS ROSE BY 12 PER CENT AND THOSE OF IMPORTS BY 13 PER CENT IN SEPTEMBER 1981 AS COMPARED WITH SEPTEMBER 1980. AS A RESULT, THE TERMS OF TRADE INDEX (EXPRESSED AS A RATIO OF THE DOMESTIC EXPORT PRICE INDEX TO THE IMPORT PRICE INDEX) DROPPED SLIGHTLY BY ONE PER CENT. VOLUME OF IMPORTS INCREASED BY 10 PER CENT WHILE THAT OF DOMESTIC
THE EXPORTS ROSE BY 14 PER CENT. THE PRICES OF RE-EXPORTS INCREASED BY EIGHT PER CENT, WITH VOLUME UP BY 27 PER CENT, SO THAT FOR TOTAL EXPORTS, PRICES ROSE BY 11 PER CENT AND VOLUME ROSE BY 18 PER CENT.
FOR THE TWELVE-MONTH PERIOD TO SEPTEMBER 1981 AS COMPARED WITH THE 12 MONTHS TO SEPTEMBER 1980, THE PRICES OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS ROSE BY NINE PER CENT, THOSE OF IMPORTS BY 10 PER CENT AND THOSE OF RE-EXPORTS BY EIGHT PER CENT. THE VOLUME OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS ROSE BY SIX PER CENT AND OF RE-EXPORTS BY 35 PER CENT, GIVING A 14 PER CENT INCREASE IN THE VOLUME OF TOTAL EXPORTS AS AGAINST A 15 PER CENT INCREASE IN THE VOLUME OF IMPORTS.
PRICES ARE BASED ON UNIT VALUES WHICH DO NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT CHANGES IN THE COMPOSITION OR QUALITY OF GOODS TRADED. CHANGES ! THE VOLUME OF TRADE ARE DERIVED FROM CHANGES IN TRADE VALUES, AFTER DISCOUNTING THE EFFECT OF PRICE CHANGES.
THE CHANGES IN