XN000022-1978-10-19 — Page 7

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1978

NEW TRANSPORT COMMISSIONER ASSUMES OFF ICE

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MR. ALAN ARMSTRONG-WRIGHT WILL OFFICIALLY TAKE OVER FROM MR. IAN MACPHERSON AS COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT TOMORROW (FRIDAY).

MR. ARMSTRONG-WRIGHT, 49, JOINED THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT AS AN ENGINEER IN 1953. HE ROSE TO THE RANK OF PRINCIPAL GOVERNMENT CIVIL ENGINEER BEFORE BEING APPOINTED TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS GRADE IN 1974.

HIS LAST POSTING PRIOR TO BE ING APPOINTED COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT WAS ACTING DEPUTY FINANCIAL SECRETARY. PREVIOUS TO THAT HE WAS A DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND A PRINCIPAL ASSISTANT FINANCIAL SECRETARY.

THE OUTGOING COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT, MR. IAN MACPHERSON, WILL BE TAKING UP HIS NEW DUTIES AS DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES TOMORROW.

HE HAS BEEN COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT SINCE 1974.

GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTS FOR JULY

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THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTS FOR JULY, 1978, SHOW A DEFICIT OF $396.1 MILLION COMPARED WITH A DEFICIT OF $78.6 MILLION IN JULY LAST YEAR.

THIS HAS RESULTED IN AN ACCUMULATED DEFICIT OF $25.4 MILLION FOR THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS OF THIS FINANCIAL YEAR, COMPARED WITH A DEFICIT OF $53.8 MILLION FOR THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR.

TOTAL EXPENDITURE, AT $868.5 MILLION, WAS $288.6 MILLION MORE THAN IN JULY, 1977.

TOTAL REVENUE AND RECEIPTS, AT $472.3 MILLION, WERE $29 MILLION LESS THAN FOR THE SAME MONTH LAST YEAR.