THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1994
ODHCS WILL BE SET UP ON TRIAL BASIS : SHA
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THE GOVERNMENT HAS DECIDED TO GO AHEAD WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A SCHEME UNDER WHICH CENTRES WOULD BE SET UP FOR OVERSEAS DOMESTIC HELPERS, THE SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS, MR MICHAEL SURN, SAID (THURSDAY) AFTERNOON.
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AFTER A ONE-YEAR TRIAL PERIOD, THE SCHEME WILL BE REVIEWED.
ANNOUNCING THIS AT A TAI PING SHAN LION'S CLUB LUNCHEON MEETING, MR SUEN POINTED OUT THAT THERE WERE CURRENTLY ABOUT 130,000 OVERSEAS DOMESTIC HELPERS IN THE TERRITORY, OF WHICH 90 PER CENT COME FROM THE PHILIPPINES.
ACCORDING TO STATISTICS IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE YEAR, FIGURE HAS BEEN INCREASING AT THE RATE OF OVER 1,000 A MONTH.
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THESE HELPERS, MR SUEN STRESSED, HAVE MADE A VALUABLE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION NOT ONLY TO INDIVIDUAL FAMILIES IN HONG KONG BUT ALSO TO THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
AND HE ALSO REASONED THAT AS THEY HAVE LEFT THEIR COUNTRY то WORK IN HONG KONG, THEIR BASIC NEEDS SHOULD NOT BE NEGLECTED.
IN THIS CONTEXT, MR SUEN NOTED THAT A CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION (CNTA) STUDY FOUND THAT THE MAIN REASON FOR THEIR CONGREGATING IN THE MORE POPULAR AREAS OF CENTRAL, WAN CHAI AND TSIM SHA TSUI ON SUNDAYS WAS DUE TO A LACK OF DEDICATED PREMISES AND SITES FOR SOCIAL AND RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES.
ADDITIONALLY, THESE VENUES HAVE TELEPHONE, POSTAL AND BANKING
SERVICES WITH CHURCHES AND GOODS STALLS NEARBY.
WHILE ADMITTING THAT IT WOULD NOT BE PRACTICAL OR EASY TO FIND SUBSTITUTE SITES, MR SUEN SAID THE GOVERNMENT NEVERTHELESS NEEDED TO DRAW UP A SYSTEMATIC AND COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO PROVIDE MORE SUITABLE SITES FOR THESE HELPERS.
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HE SAID, WOULD NOT ONLY MEET THEIR PRACTICAL NEEDS BUT WOULD ALSO HELP RELIEVE THE IMPACT OF THEIR CROWDING THE MORE POPULAR LOCATIONS,
IN VIEW OF THIS, CNTA HAS STARTED IDENTIFYING SUITABLE SITES USE AS CENTRES OR ACTIVITY CENTRES FOR THESE HELPERS
EASILY ACCESSIBLE VENUES WHICH ARE AT PRESENT UNDER-UTILISED.
FOR
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YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT AN EASY TASK AS LAND IS PRECIOUS IN HONG KONG, HE SAID.
BUT FORTUNATELY, MR SUEN SAID, WITH THE CO-OPERATION OF VARIOUS PARTIES, PARTICULARLY THE TUNG WAH GROUP OF HOSPITALS AND PO LEUNG KUK, THE GOVERNMENT HAS FOUND TWO SUITABLE BUILDINGS WHICH HAVE BOTH BEEN LEFT VACANT FOR OVER A YEAR.
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