XN000022-1974-06-14 — Page 4

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FRIDA. JUNE 14, 1974

NEW RATING STRUCTURE FOR N.T. PROPOSED

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THE RATING CAMENDMENT) CNO. 2) BILL 1974 WHICH SEEKS TO BRING THE RATES CHARGED IN THE NEW TERRITORIES TO THE SAME LEVEL AS THOSE CHARGED IN URBAN AREAS WAS GAZETTED TODAY FOR GENERAL INFORMATION.

THE BILL, WHICH WILL BE TABLED AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SHORTLY, IS DESIGNED TO IMPLEMENT ANOTHER PROPOSAL MADE BY THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY IN HIS 1974 BUDGET SPEECH.

UNDER THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION, TSUEN WAN, KWAI CHUNG AND CASTLE PEAK ROAD ARE THE FIRST AREAS TO BE AFFECTED, WITH THE RATES BEING RAISED FROM 11 TO 15 PER CENT.

IN ORDER TO AVOID TOO ABRUPT A CHANGE FOR NEWLY RATEABLE AREAS IN THE N.T., THE BILL PŘOPOSES TO RATE THESE AREAS AT 11 PER CENT ONLY FOR THE FIRST FOUR YEARS WITH TSING YI ISLAND AS THE FIRST OF SUCH AREAS.

BOTH OF THESE PROPOSALS ARE DEEMED TO HAVE EFFECT FROM APRIL 1 THIS YEAR.

IT IS ALSO PROPOSED TO RATE ADDITIONAL DEVELOPED AREAS OF THE N.T., INCLUDING YUEN LONG AND TAIPO, UNDER THE NEW RATING STRUCTURE.

BUT THESE AREAS ARE NOT LIKELY TO BE AFFECTED UNTIL 1976 WHEN, AS IN THE CASE OF TSING YI, RATES FOR THE FIRST FOUR YEARS OF ASSESSMENT WILL BE CHARGED AT A LOWER PERCENTAGE.

COMMENTING ON THE CHANGE IN RATES, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE RATING AND VALUATION DEPARTMENT EXPLAINED THAT WHILE TSUEN WAN HAD BEEN RATED AT 11 PER CENT SINCE 1956 IT HAD SERVICES SIMILAR TO URBAN AREAS LIKE SHAM SHUI PO AND LAI CHI KOK WHICH ARE RATED AT 15 PER CENT.

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