XN000022-1983-03-23 — Page 26

25

-

DEPAN BAJAJ 1, main

TREMENDOUS CHANGE IN TUEN MUN *****

TUEN MUN HAS UNDERGONE A TREMENDOUS CHANGE FROM A FISHING VILLAGE INTO A FAST DEVELOPING INDUSTRIAL NEW TOWN AND, OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS, HAD A THREE-FOLD INCREASE IN POPULATION, THE OUTGOING DISTRICT OFFICER, MR BILLY LAM, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

+AN AVERAGE OF 50 000 TO 60 000 PEOPLE MOVED INTO THE TOWN EVERY YEAR. AND THE POPULATION IS EXPECTED TO REACH 350 000 BY 1985, + HE SAID.

SPEAKING AT A FAREWELL PARTY ATTENDED BY MORE THAN 600 COMMUNITY LEADERS, MR LAM RECALLED THAT THERE WERE ONLY 70 000 RESIDENTS IN TUEN MUN WHEN HE BEGAN HIS WORK AS THE DISTRICT OFFICER THREE YEARS AGO.

+ IN ORDER TO COPE WITH THE FAST GROWING NEED, THE GOVERNMENT HAS PUT IN GREAT EFFORT IN BUILDING COMMUNITY FACILITIES IN THE DISTRICT, HE SAID.

ON HOUSING, FOR INSTANCE, A NUMBER OF PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES HAVE BEEN COMPLETED DURING THE YEARS, AND THE SIU HONG COURT - HONG KONG'S LARGEST HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME - HAD RECEIVED GOOD RESPONSE WITH ALL UNITS IN THE PHASE I BEING SOLD OUT, HE SAID.

ON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENTS, HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT WOULD SPEND $400 MILLION TO BUILD A CULTURAL COMPLEX IN THE DISTRICT, AND THE PILING WORK FOR PHASE I HAD ALREADY BEEN COMPLETED.

*UPON COMPLETION, THE COMPLEX WILL HAVE A TOWN HALL, GOVERNMENT OFFICES, BUS TERMINUS AND A MULTI-STOREY CAR PARK, AND TOGETHER WITH THE NEW YAU 01 SPORTS CENTRE, RECREATIONAL AND CULTURAL FACILITIES IN THE NEW TOWN WILL BE GREATLY IMPROVED, + HE SAID.

ON THE WORK OF THE DISTRICT BOARD, MR LAM SAID THROUGH AN INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCE COMMITTEE, THEY WOULD HELP PROMOTE INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENTS IN THE DISTRICT, AND CREATE JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL RESIDENTS.

MR LAM WILL TAKE UP HIS NEW POST AS DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF

THE NEW DISTRICT OFFICER GOVERNMENT SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT TOMORROW. WILL BE MR RICKY FUNG.

CONSUMER PRICE INDEXES FOR FEBRUARY

****

THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (A) AND CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (B) FOR FEBRUARY 1983 WERE BOTH 138, EACH BEING THREE POINTS OR 2.2 PER CENT HIGHER THAN THE PRECEDING MONTH, ACCORDING TO FIGURES PUBLISHED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

COMPARED WITH FEBRUARY 1982, CPI (A) ADVANCED BY 11 POINTS OR 8.7 PER CENT AND CPI (B) BY 12 POINTS OR 9.5 PER CENT. DURING THE THREE-MONTH PERIOD ENDING IN FEBRUARY 1983, BOTH THE SEASONALLY ADJUSTED CPI (A) AND CPI (B) ROSE AT AN AVERAGE RATE OF 0.7 PER CENT EACH MONTH.

/DURING

JV