XN000022-1977-02-26 — Page 2

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1977

500 FACTORIES CAME INTO BUSINESS IN TSUEN WAN IN 12 MONTHS

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MORE THAN 500 NEW FACTORIES HAVE GONE INTO BUSINESS IN THE BUSTLING NEW TOWN OF TSUEN WAN OVER THE LAST 12 MONTHS.

THIS BROUGHT THE TOTAL NUMBER OF FACTORIES OPERATING IN TSUEN WAN TO NEARLY 3,000, THE TSUEN WAN DISTRICT OFFICER (TOWN MANAGEMENT), MR. HAROLD KWOK, SAID TODAY.

HE ALSO SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD INVESTED $60 MILLION ON DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS APART FROM PUBLIC HOUSING IN THE CURRENT FINANCIAL YEAR AND THAT THE SUM WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY BE INCREASED NEXT YEAR.

PROGRAMMES IN THE PIPELINE FOR NEXT YEAR INCLUDED THE START OF WORK ON A CITY HALL, A SPORTS GROUND AT KWAI CHUNG, AN INDOOR GAMES HALL, SQUASH COURTS, A NEW PLAYGROUND FOR SHEK LI ESTATE, COMMUNITY HALLS AND A COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAMME TO BUILD NEW ROADS AND IMPROVE EXISTING ONES.

MR. KWOK WAS SPEAKING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE TSUEN WAN TOWN MANAGEMENT OFFICE - THE FIRST CITY-DISTRICT STYLE OFFICE IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

THE OFFICE WAS OPENED BY TWO LOCAL DIGNITARIES, MR. DEACON CHIU AND MR. CHAN PO-FONG FOLLOWING A LION DANCE WITH THE TSUEN WAN TOWN MANAGER AND DISTRICT OFFICER, MR. JAMES HAYES, DOTTING THE EYES.

MR. KWOK SAID MANY OF THE PROJECTS FOR TSUEN WAN, CARRIED OUT UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE NEW TOWN'S PROJECT MANAGER, MR. EDDIE SHORT, WERE THE RESULTS OF GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO LOCAL NEEDS IDENTIFIED WITH THE HELP OF THE VARIOUS CONSULTATIVE BODIES.

+ IT IS HOPED THAT THROUGH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THESE FACILITIES AND ACTIVE ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OUR VARIOUS ASSOCIATIONS, MORE PEOPLE CAN ENJOY A GREATER VARIETY OF CULTURAL AND SPORTING ACTIVITIES, + HE SAID.

EXPLAINING THE IDEA BEHIND THE SETTING UP OF THE TOWN MANAGEMENT OFFICE, HE SAID THE DISTRICT OFFICE HAD IN THE PAST BEEN CONCENTRATING ITS EFFORTS IN DEVELOPING THE NEW TOWN TO MEET THE DEMAND FOR LAND TO BUILD FACTORIES AND DOMESTIC PREMISES.

+ IN TSUEN WAN AND KWAI CHUNG, WE HAVE NOW NEARLY 3,000 FACTORIES. THIS NUMBER IS STILL INCREASING EVERY DAY, AND LAST YEAR ALONE, THERE WERE SOME 500 NEW FACTORIES,+ HE SAID.

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+THE NUMBER OF COMPLETED PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES HAS REACHED AND TWO MORE ARE BEING BUILT, ONE EACH IN TSUEN WAN AND TSING YI, WHILE PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT HAS ALSO BEEN MAINTAINING SIMILAR PACE.

+ALL THIS HAS SHOWN WE HAVE MADE GOOD PROGRESS ON THIS SIDE OF OUR WORK AND WE ARE NOW INCREASINGLY TURNING OUR ATTENTION TO IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE PEOPLE IN TSUEN WAN.

+ THE OPENING OF THE TOWN MANAGEMENT OFFICE TODAY IS ONE SUCH STEP IN THIS DIRECTION,+ HE SAID.

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