WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 1990

19

BILL REMOVES REDUNDANT PROVISIONS IN RATING ORDINANCE

WHICH SEEKS ΤΟ AMEND THE

NOW

THE RATING (AMENDMENT) BILL 1990,

A NUMBER OF

ARE PROVISIONS WHICH RATING ORDINANCE TO DELETE

PROVISIONS WHICH, IN RECENT YEARS, REDUNDANT AND TO CLARIFY OTHER

WAS DIFFICULTIES, HAVE

GIVEN

RISE

CERTAIN ΤΟ

ADMINISTRATIVE INTRODUCED INTO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY),

PROVISIONS

MOVING THE SECOND READING OF THE BILL, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY,

SAID ONE OF THE REDUNDANT THE HON SIR PIERS CONCERNED SPECIFIED RATING AREAS.

JACOBS,

A GRADUAL "LIABILITY FOR RATES WAS INTRODUCED IN HONG KONG ON

RATING AREAS, EACH REQUIRING BASIS, AND THERE ARE NOW 47 SPECIFIED

IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PUBLICATION OF SECTION 11(1) OF THE ORDINANCE.

A SEPARATE

VALUATION LIST

"SINCE APRIL 1, 1988, THE RATING ORDINANCE HAS BEEN

CONSEQUENTLY,

ALL

APPLICABLE

ARE COUNCIL

RATEABLE TENEMENTS THROUGHOUT HONG KONG AND NOW SITUATED IN EITHER THE URBAN COUNCIL AREA OR THE REGIONAL AREA.

PROPOSES TO

ORDINANCE

ALL DELETE

AND REPLACE

REFERENCES

THEM,

то

WHERE

41.

THEREFORE "THE BILL

RATING THE SPECIFIED AREAS IN APPROPRIATE, WITH REFERENCES TO THE URBAN AND REGIONAL COUNCIL AREAS, SIR PIERS SAID.

NOTICES OF NEW RATEABLE HE SAID THE PROVISION CONCERNING VALUES GAVE RISE TO SOME ADMINISTRATIVE DIFFICULTIES.

OF

"FOLLOWING A GENERAL REVALUATION EXERCISE, THE COMMISSIONER

OR OCCUPIER RATING AND VALUATION IS REQUIRED TO SERVE UPON THE OWNER OF A TENEMENT A NOTICE OF A NEW RATEABLE VALUE," HE SAID.

THIS HAD TO BE DONE NOT LATER THAN THE FIRST DAY THE YEAR IN WHICH THE REVALUATION WAS TO TAKE EFFECT.

OF MARCH OF

A PRESENTED

PROBLEM IN THAT THE TIMING OF THAT REQUIREMENT

DECISIONS CONCERNING STRICT ADHERENCE TO THE DEADLINE DICTATED THAT RATES PERCENTAGE CHARGES AND ANY RATES RELIEF SCHEME WOULD HAVE TO TAKEN IN ADVANCE OF THE BUDGET, SIR PIERS SAID.

BE

OF NEW RATEABLE TO THE EXERCISE, WHICH IS TO

"FURTHERMORE, THE NECESSITY TO SERVE NOTICES VALUE IS CONSIDERED TO BE OF SECONDARY IMPORTANCE IN RELATION PRINCIPAL OBJECTIVE OF A GENERAL REVALUATION PRODUCE A NEW VALUATION LIST.

"THE BILL THEREFORE SEEKS TO REMOVE THE TO SERVE NOTICES OF NEW RATEABLE VALUE.

STATUTORY

REQUIREMENT

"THAT

ARRANGEMENT INCLUDED IN THE SECOND QUARTER RATES

REQUIREMENT WHEREBY DETAILS

REPLACED BY AN WILL BE

VALUE RATEABLE OF THE NEW

DEMAND SENT TO MARCH OR APRIL OF THE YEAR IN WHICH THE VALUATION LIST HE SAID.

ADMINISTRATIVE

WILL RATEPAYERS

BE

IN

TAKES

EFFECT,"

/SIR PIERS

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