butani, MAY 22, 1983
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NEW ID CARD SCHEME GETS GOOD RESPONSE
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A TOTAL OF 33 000 MEN BORN IN 1964 APPLIED FOR NEW HONG KONG IDENTITY CARDS BETWEEN MAY 2, WHEN THE NEW ID CARD SCHEME WAS LAUNCHED, AND LAST FRIDAY (MAY 20), A SPOKESMAN FOR THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY.
THIS FIGURE REPRESENTS 55 PER CENT OF THE ESTIMATED TOTAL NUMBER OF MEN IN THIS AGE GROUP.
+THE 19-YEAR-OLDS HAVE BEEN VERY CO-OPERATIVE IN COMING FORWARD, RESULTING IN THE SMOOTH RUNNING OF THE FIRST PHASE OF THE SCHÉME, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
HE URGED THE REMAINING 45 PER CENT TO GET THEIR NEW CARDS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
+IN FACT, THERE ARE ONLY 12 WORKING DAYS LEFT BEFORE THE CLOSING DATE - JUNE 4,+ HE SAID.
HE ADVISED THEM NOT TO WAIT UNTIL THE LAST FEW DAYS.
+THE SOONER THEY APPLY THE QUICKER THEY WILL GET THEIR NEW CARDS. IF THEY APPLY NOW,
IF THEY APPLY NOW, THEY CAN AVOID THE LAST MINUTE RUSH, HE SAID.
THE SPOKESMAN REMINDED THOSE WHO HAD NOT YET APPLIED THAT THE EIGHT NEW ID CARD ISSUING OFFICES ARE OPEN FROM 8 AM TO 9.30 PM, FROM MONDAYS TO SATURDAYS.
+SO IF THEY ARE BUSY IN THE DAYTIME, THEY CAN ALWAYS GO THERE IN THE EVENING OR AT WEEKENDS, HE SAID.
+THE APPLICANTS MUST BRING WITH THEM THEIR OLD ID CARDS, AND THE PROCESSING WILL TAKE ONLY HALF AN HOUR, HE ADDED.
THOSE 19-YEAR-OLDS WHO ARE AWAY FROM HONG KONG AND WILL NOT BE BACK BEFORE THE CLOSING DATE, MUST APPLY WITHIN 30 DAYS OF THEIR RETURN.
ANY PEOPLE, INCLUDING 19-YEAR-OLDS, WHO WANT TO HAVE THE IR LOST OR DAMAGED ID CARDS REPLACED, OR THEIR PARTICULARS CHANGED, SHOULD GO TO THE REGULAR REGISTRATION OF PERSONS OFFICES, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
ENQUIRIES ABOUT THE NEW ID CARD SCHEME SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO 5-7956066 (CHINESE LANGUAGE) OR 5-7909393 (ENGLISH LANGUAGE).
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