XN000022-1976-07-21 — Page 8

7

TANNERS BEGIN MOVING

******

WEDNESDAY, JULY 21, 1976

OPERATORS OF 15 OF THE MAJOR SHEUNG SHUI TANNERIES TODAY BEGAN REMOVING THE IR MACHINERY AND DEMOLISHING THEIR FACTORIES IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH THE GOVERNMENT'S JULY 31 CLEARANCE DEADLINE.

THE OPERATORS ARE MEMBERS OF THREE OF THE FIVE CONSORTIA WHICH OPERATE 55 TANNERIES IN THE AREA.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION SAID TODAY IT WAS EXPECTED THAT MEMBERS OF OTHER CONSORTIA WOULD ALSO BEGIN THEIR OWN REMOVAL OPERATIONS SOON.

+WE ARE HOLDING DISCUSSIONS WITH THE REMAINING OPERATORS REGARDING FINAL DETAILS OF THE REMOVAL FROM SHEUNG SHUI, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

+THEY KNOW THAT THE GOVERNMENT WILL MOVE IN AND CLEAR THEIR SITES IMMEDIATELY AFTER JULY 31 IF THEY HAD NOT MOVED BY THAT DATE.+

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE OPERATORS WHO BEGAN MOVING TODAY HAD BEEN GIVEN PERMISSION TO TEMPORARILY STORE THEIR MACHINERY, EQUIPMENT AND STOCK ON THE LAND THEY HAD ALREADY PURCHASED AT THE KWAI CHUNG OFFENSIVE TRADES AREA AS SITES FOR THEIR NEW FACTORIES,

THE SPOKESMAN ADDED: +THE TANNERIES OPERATORS HAVE SOME VERY VALUABLE MACHINERY WHICH THEY WANT TO STORE UNDER TEMPORARY STRUCTURES ON THEIR KWAI CHUNG LAND WHILE THEY GET ON WITH BUILDING THE IR NEW FACTORIES.

+WE HAVE GIVEN THEM PERMISSION TO DO SO BECAUSE IT IS OBVIOUSLY BEST FOR ALL CONCERNED IF THE OPERATORS THEMSELVES REMOVED THE IR EQUIPMENT AND DEMOLISHED THE IR STRUCTURES BEFORE THE JULY 31 DEADLINE.+

H

18..