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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1986
IN ADDITION, FOUR SPECIAL TEAMS, HEADED BY A HOUSING MANAGER, HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED IN EASTERN, YAU MA TEI, MONG KOK AND KWAI CHUNG AND TSING YI TO DEAL WITH BUILDING MANAGEMENT MATTERS.
+THEIR MAIN TASK IS TO ADVISE AND ASSIST RESIDENTS AND MANAGEMENT BODIES IN DEALING WITH BUILDING MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS, HE SAID.
THE FOUR TEAMS HAD SO FAR PROVIDED ASSISTANCE TO 135 BUILDINGS.
+SUBJECT TO AVAILABLE RESOURCES, IT IS INTENDED TO EXTEND THIS SCHEME IN THE COMING YEARS TO OTHER DISTRICTS, HE ADDED.
TURNING TO SECURITY ASPECTS, MR LIAO SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS DRAWING UP PROPOSALS TO REGULATE THE WHOLE SECURITY INDUSTRY. +THIS WILL BE AN IMPORTANT. STEP IN ENSURING THAT PROPER STANDARDS ARE ACHIEVED AND ARE KNOWN TO THE PUBLIC,+ HE SAID.
ON THE NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH SCHEME, HE SAID 28 500 FAMILIES HAD SO FAR FORMED ABOUT 2 800 NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH UNITS. ANOTHER 15 000 FAMILIES WERE EXPECTED TO BE INVOLVED IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS AS THE THIRD PHASE OF THE SCHEME WAS IMPLEMENTED.
REFERRING TO THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR LIAO SAID A NEW PUBLIC WORKS ITEM FOR +1MPROVEMENTS TO URBAN FRINGE AND RURAL AREAS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES+ WOULD BE ESTABLISHED IN THE COMING FINANCIAL YEAR.
IN ADDITION, HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT HOPED TO ESTABLISH A NEW RECURRENT SUBHEAD FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF LOCAL PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS, SOME OF WHICH HAD FALLEN INTO DISREPAIR OVER THE YEARS.
ON HOUSING MATTERS, MR LIAO SAID THE PROJECTED FINANCIAL SELF-SUFFICIENCY OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY MUST BE VIEWED IN THE CONTEXT OF A VERY SIZEABLE OUTSTANDING LOAN FROM THE DEVELOPMENT LOAN FUND WHICH HAD YET TO BE REPAID OVER THE LONG PERIOD OF TIME INVOLVED AND THE ON-GOING PROVISION OF FREE LAND BY THE GOVERNMENT FOR BUILDING RENTAL ESTATES.
+FINANCIAL SELF-SUFFICIENCY OF THE AUTHORITY MUST NOT THEREFORE BE TAKEN TO MEAN THAT THE AUTHORITY IS ABLE TO MEET THE ENTIRE COST OF IMPLEMENTING THE PUBLIC HOUSING PROGRAMME FROM ITS OWN RESOURCES,+ HE SAID.
+GOVERNMENT WILL IN FACT CONTINUE TO CONTRIBUTE SUBSTANTIALLY TOWARDS THE PROGRAMME AFTER THE AUTHORITY BECOMES FINANCIALLY SELF- SUFFICIENT.+
/DEALING WITH