MONDAY, MARCH 15, 1993
HK URGES FOR EARLY URUGUAY ROUND CONCLUSION
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HONG KONG IS AMONG THE 37 GOVERNMENTS THAT HAVE JUST ISSUED MESSAGE TO THE PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES, THE BBC COMMISSION AND THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL, AND THE PRIME MINISTER OF JAPAN, URGING THEM TO ACCORD THE HIGHEST PRIORITY TO BRING THE URUGUAY ROUND то AN EARLY AND SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION.
"WE WELCOME THIS MOVE IN VIEW OF THE IMPORTANCE WE ATTACH TO THE URUGUAY ROUND. WE MUST CONTINUE TO DO ALL WE CAN TO PROMOTE A SUCCESSFUL AND BALANCED CONCLUSION," THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF TRADE, MR DONALD TSANG, SAID.
A SUCCESSFUL URUGUAY ROUND WILL BOOST THE WORLD ECONOMY AND STRENGTHEN THE MULTILATERAL TRADING SYSTEM. BOTH ARE OF VITAL IMPORTANCE TO HONG KONG'S CONTINUED GROWTH AND PROSPERITY.
"THE MESSAGE HAS BEEN SENT TO THE KEY MAJOR PLAYERS AND THE HOPE IS THAT THEY WILL EXERT THE NECESSARY POLITICAL WILL AND LEADERSHIP TO MOVE THE PROCESS FORWARD TO A CONCLUSION," HE ADDED.
COMPREHENSIVE SOCIAL SECURITY ALLOWANCES
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IN RESPONSE TO ENQUIRIES ON THE LEVEL OF ALLOWANCES UNDER THE COMPREHENSIVE SOCIAL SECURITY ASSISTANCE SCHEME, A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN REITERATED TODAY (MONDAY) THAT ONLY ONE PER CENT OF ALL RECIPIENTS UNDER THE NEW SCHEME WOULD BE GETTING ONLY THE BASIC RATE WITHOUT ANY EXTRA PAYMENT.
"THIS REPRESENTS ABOUT 1,000 PEOPLE OUT OF A TOTAL OF 100,000 WHO WILL BENEFIT UNDER THE NEW SCHEME.
"THESE ARE MAINLY PEOPLE WHO HAVE LESS NEEDS SUCH AS THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE TO PAY RENTS.
"IT IS THEREFORE NOT MEANINGFUL TO CONCENTRATE ON THE LEVEL OF ALLOWANCE FOR THIS SMALL GROUP, HE SAID.
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THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE AVERAGE MONTHLY ASSISTANCE FOR A SINGLE PERSON UNDER THE NEW SCHEME WOULD BE $2,000 A MONTH, AN INCREASE OF 19 PER CENT.
"THIS INCLUDES A STANDARD RATE PLUS A COMBINATION OF OTHER ALLOWANCES SUCH AS RENT ALLOWANCE, SCHOOL-RELATED ALLOWANCE, TRAVELLING EXPENSES ALLOWANCE AND EXTRA DIET ALLOWANCE.
"THIS $2,000