XN000022-1985-07-22 — Page 2

MONDAY, JULY 22, 1985

COUNCIL'S BEACHES CHIEF PRAISES WORK OF USD

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THE CHAIRMAN OF THE URBAN COUNCIL'S RECREATION SELECT COMMITTEE, MR HOWARD YOUNG, TODAY (MONDAY) PRAISED THE VALUABLE WORK OF THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT, AND ITS LIFE GUARDS IN PARTICULAR, IN ACTING AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE IN COMBATTING THE OIL POLLUTION ON HONG KONG'S BEACHES.

+ THE DEPARTMENT REACTED QUICKLY ONCE THE DANGER BECAME APPARENT, WHILE THE LIFE GUARDS AND OTHER BEACH CLEANSING STAFF HAD WORKED TIRELESSLY SINCE SATURDAY AFTERNOON TO CLEAN UP THE BEACHES AS SOON AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE,+ HE SAID.

MR YOUNG SAID EVERY EFFORT WOULD BE MADE BY THE DEPARTMENT TO CLEAN UP THE BEACHES BEFORE THE COMING LONG WEEKEND.

MR YOUNG THIS AFTERNOON VISITED REPULSE BAY AND TURTLE COVE BEACHES ACCOMPANIED BY THE DIRECTOR OF URBAN SERVICES, MR JOHN HEYWOOD, AND TWO OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL'S RECREATION SELECT COMMITTÉE, MRS MARGARET LI AND MR PAO PING-WING.

MR HEYWOOD FULLY SUPPORTED MR YOUNG'S REMARK ABOUT THE WORK OF THE BEACH STAFF IN CLEANING UP AND MOPPING UP THE OIL POLLUTION.

+THEY HAVE PULLED OUT ALL STOPS AND DONE A SPLENDID JOB WE ARE ALL PROUD OF THEIR EFFORTS, HE SAID.

MR HEYWOOD PRAISED THE INGENUITY OF BEACH STAFF DEALING WITH THE HEAVY POLLUTION AT TURTLE COVE BEACH, WHERE MORE THAN 500 BASKETS OF POLLUTED SAND HAVE BEEN TAKEN BY MOTORISED CATAMARAN AROUND THE BAY TO STANLEY, FOR LOADING ON TO LORRIES FOR DUMPING.

+THE ALTERNATIVE WILL BE FOR STAFF TO CARRY THE HEAVY BASKETS ONE AT A TIME UP ABOUT 150 STEPS TO THE ROADWAY, SAID MR HEYWOOD.

+ INSTEAD, USING THEIR INITIATIVE, THEY HAVE FOUND THIS NOVEL WAY TO SOLVE A PARTICULARLY TOUGH PROBLEM.+

TAX RESERVE CERTIFICATE INTEREST RATE DOWN

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FROM TOMORROW (TUESDAY), THE NEW ANNUAL RATE OF INTEREST ON TAX RESERVE CERTIFICATES WILL BE 2.76 PER CENT (TAX FREE) AS AGAINST THE CURRENT RATE OF 3.36 PER CENT (TAX FREE).

NOTICE OF THIS WAS PUBLISHED IN THE LATEST ISSUE OF THE

GAZETTE.

INTEREST ON TAX RESERVE CERTIFICATES IS CALCULATED IN MONTHLY STEPS AND THE NEW RATE WILL BE $0.23 PER MONTH PER $100. INTEREST WILL BE CREDITED AS BEFORE IN RESPECT OF COMPLETE MONTHS BETWEEN PURCHASE AND SURRENDER IN PAYMENT OF TAX.

/INTEREST IS