XN000022-1984-09-11 — Page 3

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1984

2.

MRS ELIZABETH PONG, AN INTERPRETER WHO HAS BEEN WITH THE SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETATION SECTION SINCE ITS ESTABLISHMENT 12 YEARS AGO, SAID, IT IS MOST REWARDING TO SEE THAT WITH THE HELP OF SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETATION, NON-ENGLISH SPEAKERS AND NON-CANTONESE SPEAKERS CAN ENGAGE IN A SMOOTH DISCUSSION, COMPLETELY REMOVING THE LANGUAGE BARRIER. +

+ON A NEW FRONT, WE ARE ADVANCING IN LONG-DISTANCE COMMUNICATION. ON MAY 17 THIS YEAR WE SUCCEEDED, FOR THE FIRST TIME, IN PROVIDING SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETATION FOR A LIVE BROADCAST OF A PRESS CONFERENCE GIVEN BY THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE AND EXECUTIVE COUNCILS IN LONDON. SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETATION WAS RENDERED AS SOON AS THE PRESS CONFERENCE WAS RELAYED TO HONG KONG VIA SATELLITE. THIS ENABLED LIVE BROADCAST OF THE PRESS CONFERENCE IN HONG KONG IN BOTH LANGUAGES AT THE SAME TIME, + MRS PONG SAID.

THE SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETER RECRUITMENT WILL BE CONDUCTED TWICE A YEAR, AND UNIVERSITY GRADUATES ARE INVITED TO RESPOND TO THE ADVERTISEMENTS.

'RENT INCREASES OFFSET ONLY PART OF RISING DEFICITS'

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BIENNIAL INCREASES OF PUBLIC HOUSING RENTS CAN ONLY OFFSET PART OF THE EVER-INCREASING DEFICITS INCURRED FROM INFLATION AND RISING COSTS OF RUNNING THE ESTATES.

AND THE DEFICITS HAVE TO BE COVERED BY THE SURPLUS GENERATED FROM THE COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES ON HOUSING ESTATES.

THIS WAS STATED YESTERDAY BY THE ACTING DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF HOUSING, MR LIM YEW-GUAN IN A TELEVISION PROGRAMME EXPLAINING THE HOUSING AUTHORITY'S RENT POLICY.

MR LIM SAID THE DOMESTIC ESTATE WORKING ACCOUNT HAD BEEN IN THE RED FOR MANY YEARS - $51 MILLION IN 1981-82, $136 MILLION IN 1982-83 AND $189 MILLION IN 1983-84. HE EXPECTED THIS DEFICIT TO GROW DESPITE REGULAR RENT REVISIONS.

+ALL THE REMAINING SURPLUS FROM THE COMMERCIAL SIDE HAVE BEEN, AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE, PLOUGHED BACK INTO THE PUBLIC HOUSING CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMME,+ HE SAID.

HE SAID PUBLIC HOUSING PROGRAMME RECEIVED HEAVY SUBSIDY FROM THE GOVERNMENT IN THE FORM OF FREE LAND AND CONCESSIONARY LOANS WITH LOW INTEREST AND A LONG REPAYMENT PERIOD OF 40 YEARS.

SINCE 1973, LOANS TO THE AUTHORITY FROM THE GOVERNMENT HAVE BEEN AS HIGH AS $8.78 BILLION, WHILE THE COMMERCIAL PUBLIC HOUSING SURPLUS DURING THE SAME PERIOD WAS ONLY $1.1 BILLION.

/+THEREFORE, NY