XN000022-1979-04-05 — Page 2

1

REVISED SYSTEM OF ISSUING OCCUPATION PERMITS

UNDER CLOSE STUDY ******

A REVISED SYSTEM OF ISSUING OCCUPATION PERMITS FOR NEW BUILDINGS IS UNDER CLOSE STUDY BY THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES.

PROPOSALS FOR THE NEW SYSTEM HAVE BEEN FORMULATED

AND AGREED IN PRINCIPLE.

+THE PWD AND OTHER CONCERNED PARTIES ARE NOW WORKING OUT THE DETAILS FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW PROPOSALS, A PWD SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).

THE STUDY BEGAN IN JANUARY LAST YEAR AND INVOLVED THE PWD AND THE INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION'S CORRUPTION PREVENTION DEPARTMENT.

A PWD SPOKESMAN ANNOUNCED AT THAT TIME THAT IT WAS HOPED THE EXAMINATION WOULD FIND WAYS OF IMPROVING THE PROCESS OF ISSUING OCCUPATION PERMITS, AND ALSO DETERMINE WHETHER THE EXISTING SYSTEM COULD LEAD TO CORRUPTION.

+THE STUDY IS NOW NEAR ING COMPLETION AND PROPOSALS FOR A NEW SYSTEM HAVE BEEN FORMULATED AND AGREED IN PRINCIPLE,+ HE SAID,

AS PART OF THE STUDY, QUESTIONNAIRES WERE SENT TO ALL AUTHORISED PERSONS SEEKING INFORMATION. THE RESPONSE WAS POSITIVE AND HELPFUL.

STATISTICAL INFORMATION WAS ALSO EXTRACTED FROM MORE THAN 500 CASE FILES IN THE PWD'S BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE VARIOUS TYPES OF INFORMATION HELPED CONSIDERABLY IN IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM AREAS IN THE EXISTING SYSTEM FROM BOTH THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND THE GOVERNMENT'S POINT OF VIEW.

THE NEW SYSTEM BASICALLY IS CENTRED ON THE AUTHORISED PERSON, THE CO-ORDINATOR OF A BUILDING PROJECT.

ACCORDING TO THE SPOKESMAN, AUTHORISED PERSONS AND GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS INVOLVED WOULD BE MORE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE IR ACTIONS, AND THEIR ACTIONS, AND THERE WOULD BE LESS LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLAINTS OF DELAY.

HE SAID +KEY ELEMENTS OF CORRUPTION PREVENTION WILL BE BUILT INTO THE SYSTEM. AFTER A COMPLETED BUILDING HAS BEEN INSPECTED BY THE B.0.0., THE SYSTEM WILL PROVIDE FOR A FIXED PERIOD OF TIME BETWEEN APPLICATION FOR AN OCCUPATION PERMIT AND ITS ISSUE.

+THIS FACTOR HAS BEEN CONFIRMED IN DISCUSSION WITH AUTHORISED PERSONS AS BEING INVALUABLE TO DEVELOPERS IN THE IR FINANCIAL AFFAIRS.+

THE PWD SPOKESMAN SAID THAT WITHOUT THE CLOSE CO-OPERATION BETWEEN THE PWD, THE I.C.A.C. AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR, THE STUDY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE.

12