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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1988

IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THE OPEN CENTRE, WHICH WILL BF BUILT ON THE LOWER PLATFORM, COULD EVENTUALLY ACCOMMODATE 5,500 REFUGEES.

THE PROJECT IS PLANNED FOR CONSTRUCTION IN PHASES то FACILITATE EARLY INTAKE OF SOME 1,600 REFUGEES AROUND MID-1989 FROM THE TEMPORARY EMERGENCY CENTRE NOW ALREADY OPERATING AT PILLAR POINT.

AT TODAY'S MEETING, COMMITTEE MEMBERS ALSO NOTED THE NEED ΤΟ PROCEED WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF STAGE II OF THE DETENTION CENTRE FOR VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE AT WHITEHEAD, WU KAI SHA, AT A CAPITAL COST OF $77.8 MILLION.

FUNDS COVERING TWO STAGES OF THE WHITEHEAD DETENTION CENTRE WERE ALREADY APPROVED BY THE FINANCE COMMITTEE IN AUGUST.

IN ADDITION, THE COMMITTEE NOTED THE DEVELOPMENTS ON REFUGEE MATTERS, IN PARTICULAR THOSE LEADING TO THE STATEMENT OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE UNHCR, AND ITS IMPLICATIONS ON PUBLIC EXPENDITURE ON CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE.

EXPENDITURE FOR OFFICE OF COMMISSIONER FOR ADMINISTRATIVE COMPLAINTS

THE FINANCE COMMITTEE TODAY (WEDNESDAY) APPROVED THE CREATION OF A NEW HEAD OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER FOR ADMINISTRATIVE COMPLAINTS TO REFLECT ITS INDEPENDENCE.

THE COMMITTEE ALSO APPROVED THE CREATION OF

UNDER THE NEW HEAD OF EXPENDITURE PROVISION OF $1,949,000 FOR 1988-89.

EIGHT SUBHEADS

TOGETHER WITH SUPPLEMENTARY

MEMBERS WERE TOLD THAT THE OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER FOR ADMINISTRATIVE COMPLAINTS WOULD BE AN INDEPENDENT ORGANISATION AND THE COMMISSIONER WOULD BE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR TO WHOM HE WOULD BE DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE.

TO REFLECT THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE OFFICE, IT WAS CONSIDERED THAT THE FINANCING OF THE OFFICE SHOULD GENERALLY FOLLOW THE MODEL THE INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION, AND ACCORDINGLY OFFICE SHOULD HAVE ITS OWN HEAD OF EXPENDITURE IN THE ESTIMATES.

OF THE

THE OFFICE WILL COME INTO OPERATION ON A DAY ΤΟ BE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR BY NOTICE IN THE GAZETTE.

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