XN000022-1987-06-11 — Page 19

THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 1987

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EX-GRATIA ALLOWANCE FOR OYSTER FARMERS

IN RESPONSE TO A REPORT SUBMITTED BY THE APPEAL BOARD FOR OYSTER FARMERS AFFECTED BY THE TSANG TSUI PHASE II PULVERISED FUEL ASH LAGOONS, THE GOVERNMENT HAD DEVISED AN EX-GRATIA ALLOWANCE PACKAGE TOTALLING $1 MILLION FOR 34 APPELLANTS, TUEN MUN DISTRICT OFFICER, MR STEPHEN SELBY, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).

SPEAKING AT A PRESS BRIEFING, MR SELBY SAID OYSTER FARMERS WHOSE APPEALS WERE CONSIDERED BY THE BOARD, WHICH COMPRISED UNOFFICIAL AND OFFICIAL MEMBERS, HAD BEEN BRIEFED ON THE GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSE TO THE REPORT.

THE GOVERNMENT HAS ACCEPTED THE MAIN RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE REPORT AND ALL THE APPELLANTS HAVE BEEN RECOGNISED AS GENUINE OYSTER FARMERS.

HOWEVER, AS THE FARMERS DO NOT OWN THE SEA-BED WHERE THE OYSTER FARMS ARE THEY ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR COMPENSATION UNDER THE LAW. TO OVERCOME THIS, AN EX-GRATIA ALLOWANCE WAS OFFERED TO THE OYSTER FARMERS BASED ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE TSANG TSUI PHASE II OYSTER FARMERS WERE FARMING AT APPROXIMATELY THE SAME DENSITY AS THOSE IN PHASE I.

MR SELBY ALSO ADDED THAT GOVERNMENT HAD ACCEPTED THAT EXCEPTIONAL TREATMENT WAS NECESSARY IN THIS CASE BECAUSE OF PARTICULAR DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED IN CARRYING OUT THE SITE SURVEY OF OYSTER BEDS AT TSANG TSUI AND IMPROVEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE ΤΟ WORKING METHODS TO AVOID THESE DIFFICULTIES IN FUTURE.

NEW I.D. CARD RE-İSSUE SCHEME TO START ON JULY 1

THE NEW IDENTITY CARD RE-ISSUE SCHEME WILL START ON JULY 1 THIS YEAR.

H

ARE

"UNDER THIS SCHEME, ALL HONG KONG RESIDENTS

REQUIRED то EXCHANGE THEIR EXISTING IDENTITY CARDS FOR NEW ONES, A SPOKESMAN THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT SAID.

FOR

AS THERE ARE ABOUT 4.8 MILLION CARDS TO BE RENEWED, ISSUE OF THE NEW CARDS WILL BE PHASED OVER A PERIOD OF A FEW YEARS.

THERE ARE