XN000022-1977-12-02 — Page 7

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1977

HOWEVER, HE NOTED IF IT WERE COMPULSORY, THERE WOULD BE LESS FEAR THAT SOME EMPLOYERS WOULD PRESSURE THE IR EMPLOYEES TO KEEP OUT OF THE SCHEME.

+ IT WOULD, ON THE OTHER HAND, LEAD TO LESS ADMINISTRATIVE PROBLEMS FOR THE EMPLOYERS, WHO, IF IT WERE VOLUNTARY, WOULD HAVE TO KEEP TRACK OF THOSE EMPLOYEES WHO WERE COMING AND GOING. THOSE WHO ARE CONTRIBUTING OR FREEZING THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS, THOSE WHO HAD CONTRACTED OUT UNDER A PERMITTED PRIVATE SCHEME, AND THOSE WHO HAD NEVER CONTRIBUTED AT ALL.+

ON THE RATE OF CONTRIBUTIONS, MR. SWEETMAN SAID THAT THE PROPOSALS IN THE GREEN PAPER HAD BEEN MODEST BECAUSE WE MUST NOT SCARE AWAY FOREIGN CAPITAL BY VERY HIGH RATES BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, ONE WOULD ONLY GET THE BENEFITS THAT ONE HAD PAID FOR.

HE HOPED THAT BEFORE LONG CLEAR ACTUARIAL ADVICE COULD BE SOUGHT ON WHAT BENEFITS THE PROPOSED RATE OF TWO PER CENT PLUS TWO PER CENT WOULD BE ABLE TO PAY FOR.

+THE LACK OF SOME STATISTICS PARTICULARLY REGARDING THE MORBIDITY RATES, THAT IS THE PERCENTAGE OF WORKERS WHO ARE OFF SICK FOR VARIOUS LENGTHS OF TIME, WILL MAKE SUCH ACTUARIAL CALCULATIONS RATHER DIFFICULT TO MAKE, PARTICULARLY AS THIS SCHEME DOES NOT APPLY BEFORE THE STATUTORY 36 DAYS OF ORIGINAL COVER FOR SICKNESS UNDER THE EMPLOYMENT ORDINANCE NOR UNTIL SIX MONTHS AFTER THE PERSON JOINS THE SCHEME,+ HE ADDED.

NEW FIRE STATION FOR AIRPORT ***

A NEW FIRE STATION WILL BE BUILT AT KAI TAK AIRPORT TO COPE WITH THE RECENT EXPANSION OF THE AIRPORT.

TENDERS FOR THE PROJECT WERE INVITED TODAY BY THE ARCHITECTURAL OFFICE OF THE P.W.D.

THE STATION WILL BE A TWO-STOREY STRUCTURE OCCUPYING A SITE OF ABOUT 700 SQUARE METRES OFF THE LINK TAXIWAY AT THE AIRPORT.

IT COULD ACCOMMODATE SEVEN FIRE APPLIANCES AND AMBULANCES. OTHER FACILITIES WILL INCLUDE STAND-BY ACCOMMODATION FOR STAFF, A GARAGE, A LECTURE ROOM, CANTEEN AND WATCH TOWER.

MR. PETER CHUNG, CHIEF ARCHITECT, SAID TODAY THAT WORK ON THE PROJECT WOULD BEGIN IN FEBRUARY NEXT YEAR AND WOULD TAKE ABOUT ELEVEN MONTHS TO COMPLETE.

+ON COMPLETION, THE NEW STATION WILL REPLACE THE EXISTING TEMPORARY ONE WHICH WILL BE DEMOLISHED TO MAKE WAY FOR THE FOAM STORE AND MAINTENANCE WORKSHOP OF THE NEW STATION, HE SAID.

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