XN000022-1979-05-20 — Page 7

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SUNDAY, MAY 20, 1979

THE TRADE INDEX NUMBERS FOR FEBRUARY 1979 (1973-100) WERE RELEASED AS FOLLOWS :-

VALUE INDEX UNIT VALUE INDEX QUANTUM INDEX

DOMESTIC EXPORTS

IMPORTS

150

232

152

155

THE TERMS OF TRADE INDEX FOR FEBRUARY 1979 WAS 98.

99

150

CONSTRUCTION NOISE BAN INTERIM MEASURE

*****

A BAN ON THE USE OF CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 7 P.M. AND 7 A.M. DUE TO COME INTO FORCE ON JULY 1 UNDER THE NOISE PREVENTION SUMMARY OFFENCES (AMENDMENT) ORDINANCE 1978 IS AN INTERIM MEASURE STEMMING FROM THE LARGE VOLUME OF COMPLAINTS FROM THE PUBLIC, A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY (SUNDAY).

THE BAN, WHICH ALSO APPLIES TO SUNDAYS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS HAD ALREADY BEEN DELAYED FOR TWO YEARS FOLLOWING REPRESENTATIONS FROM THE BUILDING CONTRACTOR'S ASSOCIATION (BCA), THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

HOWEVER, HE ADDED THAT EXEMPTIONS FROM THE BAN MAY BE GRANTED TO CONTRACTORS IN CASES WHERE IT WOULD BE IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST TO DO SO. AND MANUAL WORK WOULD NOT BE AFFECTED.

THE CURRENT RESTRICTIONS WERE FORMULATED BY THE NOISE POLLUTION SUB-COMMITTEE OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (EPCOM) WHICH HAD KEPT THE BCA FULLY INFORMED ABOUT ITS PROPOSALS SINCE THEIR INCEPTION IN 1974.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT IN 1976 THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE HAD WRITTEN TO REGISTERED CONTRACTORS, AUTHORISED PERSONS AND OTHERS CONNECTED WITH THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY INFORMING THEM OF THE PROPOSED BAN AND ASKING FOR THEIR CO-OPERATION IN MAKING HONG KONG A QUIETER PLACE IN WHICH TO LIVE.

GOVERNMENT FOR ITS PART, ON THE LARGE NUMBERS OF CONTRACTS IT LETS, HAS ALREADY TAKEN THE LEAD BY LIMITING THE HOURS OF WORK TO THOSE SPECIFIED IN THE NEW LEGISLATION.

HE ADDED THAT GOVERNMENT RECOGNISED THAT A WHOLESALE BAN ON THE OPERATION OF CONSTRUCTION NOISE AT NIGHT AND ON PUBLIC HOLIDAYS MUST BE A STOP-GAP MEASURE AND WAS NOT AN IDEAL WAY OF TACKLING THE PROBLEM OF CONSTRUCTION NOISE.

HE EMPHASISED, HOWEVER, THAT A NEW NOISE ABATEMENT BILL HAS BEEN DRAFTED AND PROVISION WAS BEING SOUGHT FOR THE TRAINED STAFF TO IMPLEMENT THE MORE SOPHISTICATED CONTROLS THIS WOULD CONTAIN.

THE PROCESS OF DRAWING UP THESE MEASURES WILL DEPEND VERY MUCH ON THE CO-OPERATION OF THE BCA, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

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