XN000022-1987-03-17 — Page 4

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TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 1987

THE HILL SLOPES EAST OF MOUNT PARKER WHICH IS NOW PART OF

A KUNG NGAM CONSTITUENCY WOULD BE INCLUDED IN CHAI WAN WEST. THE NEW DEVELOPMENT OF HANG FA CHUEN WOULD FALL WITHIN CHAI WAN WEST CONSTITUENCY.

MAPS OF THE PROPOSED DB CONSTITUENCY BOUNDARIES WILL BE DISPLAYED IN THE EASTERN DISTRICT OFFICE AND ITS THREE SUB-OFFICES FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS FROM TOMORROW (WEDNESDAY) TO APRIL 8, 1987.

SMALL RISE IN WATER CHARGES FROM APRIL 1

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THERE IS TO BE A SMALL INCREASE IN WATER CHARGES FROM APRIL 1,

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN ANNOUNCED TODAY (TUESDAY).

HE SAID THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL HAD APPROVED AN AVERAGE RISE OF FIVE PER CENT TO COME IN ON APRIL 1 FOLLOWING THE FIFTH IN A SERIES OF ANNUAL REVIEWS.

LAST YEAR, THE INCREASE WAS ALSO FIVE PER CENT.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE 1987-88 INCREASE WAS IN LINE WITH INFLATION AND ITS EFFECT WOULD BE TO MAINTAIN TARIFF CHARGES INTRODUCED IN APRIL 1979 AT THEIR ORIGINAL LEVELS IN REAL TERMS.

HE SAID DESPITE THE INCREASE, 20 PER CENT OF ALL DOMESTIC CONSUMERS WOULD CONTINUE TO PAY NOTHING FOR THE WATER THEY CONSUMED.

A FURTHER 70 PER CENT WOULD PAY LESS THAN 50 CENTS ADDITIONAL PER WEEK.

ONLY 10 PER CENT WOULD PAY MORE THAN 50 CENTS EXTRA PER WEEK AND OF THOSE ONLY THREE PER CENT WOULD PAY MORE THAN $1 PER WEEK EXTRA.

AS FOR TRADE USERS THE MAJORITY WOULD PAY NO MORE THAN 50 CENTS EXTRA PER WEEK.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID CHARGES FOR WATER WERE AIMED AT RECOVERING THE COST OF THE WATERWORKS OPERATION AND THE GOVERNMENT UNDERTOOK REVIEWS EVERY YEAR WHICH RESULTED IN SMALL INCREASES.

/HE SAID