XN000022-1984-08-13 — Page 11

MONDAY, AUGUST 13, 1984

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SEIZED GOODS YIELD HIGH PROCEEDS

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THE GOVERNMENT SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT DOES NOT SPEND MONEY ON NEW PURCHASES ONLY, BUT IT IS ALSO ACTIVE IN GENERATING REVENUE.

DURING THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1983-84, THE DEPARTMENT REALISED $27 789 000 FROM THE SALES OF CONFISCATED AND UNCLAIMED GOODS, AS WELL AS OF SURPLUS GOVERNMENT ITEMS OR THOSE CONSIDERED NO LONGER SERVICEABLE.

THE SALES OF SURPLUS AND UNSERVICEABLE ITEMS ACCOUNTED FOR OVER $25 000 000, FIVE TIMES THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S $5 278 000.

THIS HEFTY INCREASE WAS DUE MAINLY TO THE SALE OF FUEL ORIGINALLY PURCHASED FOR THE OPERATION OF THE DESALTING PLANT IN LOK ON PAI,

+WE SOLD SOME 12 000 TONNES OF IT FOR OVER $13 000 000 AS THE DESALTER WAS SHUT DOWN DUE TO FAVOURABLE WATER STORAGE IN OUR RESERVOIRS, THE CONTROLLER OF GOVERNMENT SUPPLIES, MR WILFRED WONG, SAID.

+ ITEMS BEYOND ECONOMICAL REPAIR, SUCH AS RUN-DOWN VEHICLES, MARINE CRAFT, TYPEWRITERS, ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES AND MACHINES, ARE SOLD FOR THE IR USABLE PARTS, + MR WONG SAID.

CONFISCATED GOODS GENERALLY YIELD SUBSTANTIAL PROCEEDS. IN THE LAST FISCAL YEAR, THEY FETCHED $2 601 000, UP 57 PER CENT OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

+THEY COMPRISE ARTICLES SEIZED FROM UNLICENSED HAWKERS SMUGGLED GOODS CAPTURED FROM BOATS AND VEHICLES, COUNTERFEITS, COURT EXHIBITS AND ABANDONED AUTOMOBILES, MR WONG SAID.

UNCLAIMED ARTICLES CONSIST MAINLY OF UNDELIVERED POSTAL PARCELS. MANY OF THEM WERE SENT TO CHINA BUT ENDED UP IN THE POST OFFICE DUE TO WRONG OR UNCLEAR ADDRESSES, HE SAID.

THESE POSTAL ARTICLES, RANGING FROM TOYS, CLOTHES AND TOWELS TO BOOKS, ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES AND COMMERCIAL SAMPLES, YIELDED $60 000 LAST FISCAL YEAR.

ALL THE GOODS ARE SOLD EITHER BY TENDER OR BY AUCTION.

+GENERALLY, MORE VALUABLE GOODS LIKE VEHICLES, VESSELS AND X-RAY FILMS ARE SOLD BY TENDER. THEY ARE ADVERTISED THROUGH GOVERNMENT GAZETTES AND USUALLY ATTRACT MORE PUBLIC ATTENTION AND HIGHER PRICES, MR WONG SAID.

AUCTIONS ARE CONDUCTED ON ALTERNATE THURSDAYS AT THE HONG KONG AUCTIONEERS AND ESTATE AGENCY LTD.

THE PUZLIJ