XN000022-1982-08-25 — Page 4

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25, 1982

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THIS YEAR'S PROMOTIONAL EVENTS ARE BEING HELD IN BIRMINGHAM, MANCHESTER AND EDINBURGH BECAUSE THEY ARE THE THREE MOST IMPORTANT REGIONAL CENTRES OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY, BANKING AND FINANCE.

HE SAID THE MAIN OBJECT OF THIS YEAR'S PROGRAMMES, LIKE THOSE OF PREVIOUS YEARS, IS TO INFORM THE TOP PEOPLE IN PUBLIC LIFE IN THE U.K. ABOUT THE SOCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL ACHIEVEMENTS OF HONG KONG, THEREBY CORRECTING ANY LINGERING MISAPPREHENSIONS AND CREATING A RESERVOIR OF GOODWILL FOR HONG KONG AMONG THE MOST INFLUENTIAL SECTIONS OF THE BRITISH COMMUNITY.

INFORMATION SOUGHT FROM RATEPAYERS

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FROM TOMORROW (THURSDAY), THE RATING AND VALUATION DEPARTMENT WILL SEND SOME 650 000 FORMS (FORM R.1A) TO RATEPAYERS, REQUIRING THEM TO FURNISH INFORMATION ON RENTS AND OTHER PARTICULARS OF THE IR PROPERTY.

THE FORMS ARE IN CHINESE AND ENGLISH AND MAY BE COMPLETED IN EITHER LANGUAGE.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT EXPLAINED THAT THE INFORMATION WAS REQUIRED TO ASSIST THE DEPARTMENT IN DETERMINING UP-TO-DATE RATEABLE VALUES.

BUT HE STRESSED THAT, ALTHOUGH THE DEPARTMENT WOULD SPEND CONSIDERABLE TIME OVER THE NEXT YEAR REVIEWING EXISTING RATEABLE VALUES, NO DECISION HAS BEEN TAKEN AS TO WHETHER OR WHEN UPDATED VALUES SHOULD TAKE EFFECT.

BEFORE NEW VALUATION LISTS CAN BE PREPARED AND BROUGHT INTO EFFECT, IT IS NECESSARY FOR THE GOVERNOR TO GIVE A DIRECTION UNDER THE RATING ORDINANCE. NO SUCH DIRECTION HAS BEEN GIVEN YET.

THE SPOKESMAN RECALLED THAT THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, IN A SPEECH IN JANUARY THIS YEAR, STATED THAT A REVALUATION WOULD PROBABLY TAKE PLACE NOT EARLIER THAN 1984.

IT WAS EXPLAINED THAT THE UNDERLYING PURPOSE OF UPDATING RATEABLE VALUES WAS TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF CHANGES IN RELATIVE VALUES TO ENSURE THAT THE BURDEN OF RATES WAS EQUITABLY DISTRIBUTED.

SINCE THE LAST REVALUATION IN 1976, RENTALS, ON WHICH SUCH VALUES ARE BASED, HAVE GENERALLY INCREASED.

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