XN000022-1981-02-20 — Page 4

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1981

HE SAID THAT TODAY THE CUSTOMS AND CONTROLS DEPARTMENT WAS A SOPHISTICATED, HIGHLY-TRAINED ORGANISATION WITH A VERY HIGH REPUTATION, COLLABORATING WITH ITS COUNTERPARTS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.

ITS WORK INVOLVES NOT ONLY ITS REVENUE RESPONSIBILITIES BUT INCREASINGLY, TRADE FACILITATION WHICH COVERED IMPORT AND EXPORT LICENSING, ORIGIN CERTIFICATION, QUOTA CONTROL AND ALL +THE CAREFULLY TAILORED ARRANGEMENTS BY WHICH HONG KONG TRADE CAN MATCH THE RESTRAINTS AND REQUIREMENTS OF OUR TRADING PARTNERS OVERSEAS.+

IN ADDITION TO DESCRIBING THESE TWO AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITIES, MR JORDAN SAID: IN THE INVESTIGATIVE FIELD, THE HONG KONG SERVICE STRIKES AT THOSE WHO WOULD BRING HONG KONG'S INTERNATIONAL TRADING REPUTATION INTO DISREPUTE THE QUOTA EVADERS, THE COUNTERFEITERS OF OTHER PEOPLE'S COPYRIGHT AND TRADE MARK PROPERTY AND ANY PERSONS WHO BY THEIR DISHONEST PRACTICES BRING INTO JEOPARDY THE TRADING POTENTIAL AND REPUTATION OF THE VAST MAJORITY OF DECENT HONG KONG BUSINESSMEN,+

+ IN OUR RESPONSIBILITIES TOWARDS THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE, WE ARE ENGAGED HEAVILY IN COUNTERING THE NARCOTICS TRAFFICKERS. IN THIS FIELD WE HAVE HAD OUTSTANDING SUCCESS, BOTH AT THE POINTS OF ENTRY AND IN THE HINTERLAND. LAST YEAR WE SEIZED 145 KILOS OF HEROIN, HEROIN BASE AND MORPHINE OR ENOUGH TO PROVIDE 1.5 MILLION DOSES TO SATISFY THE CRAVINGS OF 10 000 ADDICTS FOR 75 DAYS.

+ALL THESE RESPONSIBILITIES ARE A FAR HAUL FROM THE DAYS WHEN THE REVENUE MEN WERE CONCERNED ONLY WITH LIQUOR, TOBACCO AND VERY LITTLE ELSE.

+AS WE MODERNISE AND COMPLETE OUR REORGANISATION OF THE ORGANISATION DURING THIS YEAR, WE ARE DOING SO WITH ONE AIM, THAT OF IMPROVING THE SERVICE WE OFFER TO HONG KONG,+ CONCLUDED MR JORDAN.

MORE BURIAL SITES FOR WO HOP SHEK CEMETERY AND REVISION OF FEES FOR BURIALS

AND CREMATIONS

*****

THE GOVERNMENT IS TO SPEND $6.7 MILLION ON 6 700 MORE BURIAL SITES AT AN EXTENSION TO THE WO HOP SHEK CEMETERY.

FORMATION WORK ON ABOUT SIX HECTARES AT THE CEMETERY FOR COFFIN BURIAL HAS STARTED AND IS EXPECTED TO TAKE 18 MONTHS TO COMPLETE, SAID A SPOKESMAN FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES SERVICES DEPARTMENT TODAY (FRIDAY).

HE SAID MOST OF THE 64 000 COFFIN BURIAL SITES AT THE CEMETERY ARE OCCUPIED. THERE ARE ANOTHER 93 000 SITES FOR URN BURIAL.

LAST YEAR'S COFFIN BURIALS TOOK UP 9 896 SITES WHILE

URN BURIAL OCCUPIED 5 252 SPACES IN THE CEMETERY.

AND THE KWAI CHUNG CREMATORIUM RECORDED 2 397 CREMATIONS DURING THE YEAR, SAID THE SPOKESMAN.

/MEANTES!