XN000022-1975-09-23 — Page 4

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1975

OVER $3.5 M. ALLOCATED TO SOCIAL WELFARE PROJECTS FROM LOTTERIES FUND ********

MORE THAN $3.5 MILLION HAS BEEN ALLOCATED FROM THE LOTTERIES FUND IN THE FORM OF GRANTS OR LOANS FOR VARIOUS SOCIAL WELFARE PROJECTS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE CURRENT FINANCIAL YEAR.

THE BIGGEST OF THE 41 GRANTS AMOUNTED TO $1.7 MILLION AND WAS MADE TO THE HONG KONG COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE TO SUBSIDISE THE CONSTRUCTION COSTS OF ITS HEADQUARTERS IN WANCHAI.

ANOTHER GRANT OF $275,000 WAS SET ASIDE FOR SALVATION ARMY FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF FACILITIES AT ITS TAI HANG TUNG CENTRE.

ST JAMES SETTLEMENT'S SHELTERED WORKSHOP FOR THE MENTALLY- HANDICAPPED AT KENNEDY ROAD, NOW IN ITS THIRD YEAR OF OPERATION, RECEIVED A RECURRENT GRANT OF $227,500.

ANOTHER WORKSHOP, OPERATED BY THE HONG KONG SOCIETY FOR THE BLIND, WAS GIVEN AN INTEREST-FREE LOAN OF $500,000. THIS IS THE ONLY LOAN FROM THE FUND SO FAR IN THE CURRENT FINANCIAL YEAR.

THE LOTTERIES FUND, WHICH OBTAINS ITS PROCEEDS FROM THE SALE OF GOVERNMENT LOTTERIES AND 'LUCKY' CAR NUMBERS, WAS SET UP TO HELP THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES IN HONG KONG.

THE EIGHT GOVERNMENT LOTTERIES HELD SO FAR THIS YEAR HAVE BROUGHT MORE THAN $2.7 MILLION TO THE FUND AND THE AUCTION OF 'LUCKY' CAR NUMBERS, ABOUT $370,000.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE LOTTERIES FUND NOTED THAT THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT LOTTERY SERIES WOULD END IN OCTOBER, BUT THE FUND WOULD NOT BE AFFECTED AS THE NEW MARK SIX LOTTERY WOULD CONTINUE TO CONTRIBUTE TO IT.

!

THE FIRST MARK SIX LOTTERY WAS HELD IN EARLY SEPTEMBER.

THOUGH IN A DIFFERENT FORM, THE APPROPRIATION OF PROCEEDS FROM THE MARK SIX LOTTERIES FOLLOWS THE SAME PRINCIPLE AS THE GOVERNMENT LOTTERIES THAT IS, THE PAYMENT OF SURPLUSES INTO THE FUND AFTER PAYMENT OF PRIZES, BETTING DUTY AND OPERATING EXPENSES.

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