WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 1987
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EX-GRATIA PAYMENTS AIMED AT REDUCING HARDSHIPS
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EX-GRATIA ALLOWANCES ARE MADE TO REDUCE HARDSHIPS CAUSED TO PEOPLE WHOSE LIVELIHOODS ARE AFFECTED BY GOVERNMENT PROJECTS AND ARE NOT A LEGAL RIGHT TO ELIGIBLE RECIPIENTS, TUEN MUN DISTRICT OFFICER, MR STEPHEN SELBY, SAID THIS (WEDNESDAY) EVENING.
SPEAKING AT A MEETING OF THE Y'S MEN'S CLUB OF THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR SELBY SAID COMPENSATION AND EX-GRATIA ALLOWANCES SHOULD NOT BE CONFUSED AS THEY WERE ENTIRELY DIFFERENT POLICIES FROM EACH OTHER.
COMPENSATION PAYMENTS WERE MADE TO PEOPLE WHO LEGALLY HELD PROPERTY AND WERE AFFECTED BY GOVERNMENT CLEARANCES AND PROJECTS, WHILE EX-GRATIA ALLOWANCES WERE MADE AVAILABLE TO ELIGIBLE CLAIMANTS NOT LEGALLY ENTITLED TO COMPENSATION, HE SAID.
CITING SEVERAL EXAMPLES, MR SELBY SAID SOME COMMON AREAS WHERE GOVERNMENT MADE EX-GRATIA ALLOWANCES WERE CASES WHERE TRADITIONAL RELIGIOUS BELIEFS WERE DISTURBED AS A RESULT OF CLEARANCES OR PROJECT WORKS.
+ONE SUCH BELIEF IS FUNG SHUI WHICH WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO PROVE IN A COURT OF LAW THAT ANY DISTURBANCE TO IT HAD CAUSED HARDSHIP TO A PARTICULAR AREA OR VILLAGE,+ MR SELBY SAID.
+WHILE THERE IS NO PROVISION IN THE LAW BY WHICH PEOPLE CAN CLAIM FUNG SHUI AS A RIGHT, THE GOVERNMENT HAS A VERY HIGH REGARD FOR CHINESE CUSTOMS AND WOULD ALMOST ALWAYS PAY OUT EX-GRATIA ALLOWANCES TO MEET THE COST OF RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES TO WARD OFF THE BAD EFFECTS OF FUNG SHUI DISTURBANCES, HE ADDED.
MR SELBY SAID ONE OF THE AIMS OF THE EX-GRATIA ALLOWANCE POLICY WAS TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE AFFECTED BY CLEARANCES OR PROJECTS TO CO-OPERATE WITH THE AUTHORITIES IN THE PUBLIC'S INTEREST.
GENERAL HOUSEHOLD SURVEY TO BE CONDUCTED
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THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT WILL CONTINUE TO CONDUCT THE GENERAL HOUSEHOLD SURVEY IN APRIL TO JUNE 1987.
THE SURVEY, CONDUCTED MONTHLY SINCE AUGUST 1981, COLLECTS INFORMATION ON EMPLOYMENT, UNEMPLOYMENT AND UNDEREMPLOYMENT, AND THE GENERAL SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE POPULATION.
SOME 5 000 HOUSEHOLDS ARE SELECTED AT RANDOM EACH MONTH FROM ALL DISTRICTS FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE SURVEY.
/ABOUT HALF
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