XN000022-1985-07-21 — Page 3

LI 21, 1903

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HE CALLED ON ALL CONCERNED MEMBERS OF THE PLIC TO STUDY THE REGULATIONS AND TO GIVE THEIR COMMENTS TO THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE AT THE GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT IN LOWER AL BERT ROAD.

THE REGULATIONS ARE CONTAINED IN A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO THE GOVERNMENT GAZETTE PUBLISHED ON MAY 31, 1985. COPIES ARE AVAILABLE AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE OR FROM THE HEALTH AND WELFARE BRANCH. COMMENTS SHOULD BE SUBMITTED DURING THE NEXT SIX WEEKS.

SALES OF FLATS RISE *****

THE NUMBER OF SALE AND PURCHASE AGREEMENTS OF FLATS INCREASED BY 65.6 PER CENT AND 78.6 PER CENT DURING THE FIRST HALF OF 1985 COMPARED WITH THE FIRST AND SECOND HALVES OF 1984 RESPECTIVELY, MR NOEL GLEESON, THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, REPORTED TODAY.

IN ALL, 25 741 SUCH AGREEMENTS WERE REGISTERED DURING THE FIRST HALF OF 1985.

DURING THE FIRST HALF YEAR OF 1985, 28 939 ASSIGNMENTS OF FLATS WERE REGISTERED, COMPARED WITH 27 003 IN THE SAME PERIOD OF 1984. A TOTAL OF 5 090 ASSIGNMENTS OF FLATS WERE COMPLETED BY THE LAND OFFICE OF THE REGISTRAR GENERAL'S DEPARTMENT ON BEHALF OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY UNDER THE GOVERNMENT'S HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME, COMPARED WITH 4 457 IN THE FIRST HALF OF 1984.

THERE WERE 232 ASSIGNMENTS OF LOTS AND SECTIONS, 8.9 PER CENT MORE THAN IN THE FIRST HALF OF 1984. THE TOTAL VALUE OF CONSIDERATIONS IN ASSIGNMENTS OF LOTS AND SECTIONS INCREASED BY 213.3 PER CENT FROM $894 MILLION IN THE SAME PERIOD OF 1984 TO $2.801 BILLION IN 1985, WHILE THAT FOR THE ASSIGNMENT OF FLATS ALSO INCREASED BY 7.2 PER CENT FROM $11.741 BILLION TO $12.592 BILLION.

FIFTEEN BUILDING MORTGAGES AND 24 078 OTHER MORTGAGES WERE REGISTERED, DOWN FROM 29 AND UP FROM 22 083 RESPECTIVELY IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE PREVIOUS YEAR. THE TOTAL AMOUNT SECURED UNDER BUILDING MORTGAGES REGISTERED DURING THE FIRST HALF OF THIS YEAR ROSE BY 4.4 PER CENT, FROM $182 MILLION TO $190 MILLION. THE AMOUNT SECURED UNDER MORTGAGES OTHER THAN BUILDING MORTGAGES ALSO ROSE BY 4.3 PER CENT, FROM $8.336 BILLION TO $8.694 BILLION.

REPAYMENTS UNDER MORTGAGES OF ALL KINDS, AS EVIDENCED BY REASSIGNMENTS AND CERTIFICATES OF SATISFACTION, WERE UP BY 39.3 PER CENT, FROM $6.563 BILLION THE FIRST HALF OF 1984 TO 99.139 BILLION THE SAME PERIOD OF 1985.

SEARCHES IN THE LAND OFFICE DURING THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF 1985 BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC REACHED AN ALL-TIME HIGH OF 455 279, UP BY 30.8 PER CENT COMPARED WITH SAME PERIOD OF 1984.

/BUT MR GLEESON