XN000022-1979-03-22 — Page 2

THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 1979

GOVT ACCOUNTS FOR DECEMBER

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THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTS FOR DECEMBER 1978 SHOW A DEFICIT OF $4.9 MILLION, COMPARED WITH A SURPLUS OF $23 MILLION

IN DECEMBER 1977.

THIS HAS RESULTED IN AN ACCUMULATED SURPLUS OF $857.6 MILLION FOR THE FIRST NINE MONTHS OF THIS FINANCIAL YEAR, COMPARED WITH A SURPLUS OF $213 MILLION FOR THE SAME PERIOD IN 1977.

TOTAL EXPENDITURE, AT $942.7 MILLION, WAS $197.6 MILLION MORE THAN IN DECEMBER 1977.

TOTAL REVENUE AND RECEIPTS, AT $937.8 MILLION, WERE $169.7 MILLION MORE THAN FOR THE SAME MONTH IN 1977.

PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES ACCOMMODATE NEARLY TWO MILLION PEOPLE

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THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, SAID THIS (THURSDAY) AFTERNOON THAT NEARLY TWO MILLION PEOPLE ALMOST HALF OF THE POPULATION ARE LIVING IN PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES.

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE NEW SHUN LEE ESTATE IN EAST KOWLOON, SIR MURRAY SAID THIS YEAR MARKED THE SILVER JUBILEE OF PUBLIC HOUSING IN HONG KONG A QUARTER OF A CENTURY OF ACHIEVEMENTS WHICH, BY ANY YARDSTICK, HAVE BEEN REMARKABLE.

HE POINTED OUT THE QUALITIES OF PUBLIC HOUSING HAD BEEN VASTLY IMPROVED SINCE THE 1950'S.

+FROM THE EMERGENCY HOUSING OF THE 1950'S, WE HAVE PROGRESSED THROUGH A RANGE OF DIFFERENT DESIGNS FROM THE MOST BASIC, BARE ESSENTIALS TO THE CONCEPT OF FULLY-INTEGRATED, SELF-SUFFICIENT COMMUNITIES IN NEW ESTATES PROVIDED WITH A FULL RANGE OF COMMERCIAL AND SOCIAL FACILITIES SUCH AS WE SEE AROUND US HERE AT SHUN LEE- AND AS WE CAN SEE IN OTHER PARTS OF HONG KONG WHERE ESTATES ARE BEING BUILT ON 12 OTHER SITES, SIR MURRAY ADDED.

ON THE HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME LAUNCHED LAST YEAR, SIR MURRAY SAID IT HAD BEEN ENTHUSIASTICALLY RECEIVED, AND THAT GOOD PROGRESS IS BEING MADE ON THE FIRST SIX ESTATES, INCLUDING ONE AT SHUN CHI COURT ADJACENT TO THE NEW SHUN LEE ESTATE.

+ALTHOUGH THIS IS A NEW VENTURE, I AM SURE THAT THE SCHEME WILL PROVE A VALUABLE ADDITION TO THE RENTED HOUSING PROGRAMME AND MAY WELL MAKE A CONSIDERABLE CONTRIBUTION TO SOLVING OUR HOUSING PROBLEMS, SIR MURRAY ADDED.

THE FOLLOWING