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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1988

THE SERVICES AVAILABLE INCLUDED ADMINISTERING DECLARATIONS, ADVISING

ANSWERING GENERAL ENQUIRIES, ON SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE GOVERNMENT, HANDLING SIMPLE COMPLAINTS AGAINST GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, RENDERING ASSISTANCE IN SOLVING PERSONAL PROBLEMS AND ARRANGING REFERRALS FOR COMPLICATED CASES WHICH REQUIRED LEGAL AND EXPERT ADVICE, HE SAID.

OF

DURING 1987, THE MOST COMMON ENQUIRIES CONCERNED GOVERNMENT JOB VACANCIES; LOCATIONS, TELEPHONE NUMBERS AND OPENING HOURS GOVERNMENT OFFICES; PROCUREMENT OF POSTERS, PAMPHLETS, FORMS AND CONSULTATIVE DOCUMENTS ISSUED BY GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS; DECLARATION/ OATH/AFFIRMATION: AND ISSUES RELATED TO EMIGRATION AND OVERSEAS VISITS. HE ADDED.

OATHS

AND

AFFIRMATIONS

ON THE NUMBER OF DECLARATIONS, ADMINISTERED BY THE CENTRES, THE SPOKESMAN NOTED THAT THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE OF 46.6 PER CENT OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

OF THE 733,000 CASES HANDLED DURING

1987, 42 PER CENT WERE DECLARATION OF TRUE COPIES OF DOCUMENTS. THE OTHERS WERE MAINLY IN RELATION TO EDUCATION AND EXAMINATIONS, AND APPLICATIONS SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS.

FOR

HE SAID UNDER THE FREE LEGAL ADVICE SCHEME, A TOTAL OF 2,945 CASES WERE HANDLED BY THE HONG KONG LAW SOCIETY IN 1987 OF WHICH 2,933 CASES WERE REFERRED TO THE SOCIETY BY CNTA. SOME 273 CASES WERE SUBSEQUENTLY REFERRED TO THE LEGAL AID DEPARTMENT FOR ASSISTANCE.

DURING THE YEAR, 17,152 PEOPLE APPROACHED THE RENT OFFICERS FROM THE RATING AND VALUATION DEPARTMENT WHO WERE ON DUTY AT 13 DISTRICT OFFICES

10 IN THE URBAN AREA AND THREE IN THE NEW TERRITORIES FOR ADVICE ON RENTAL AND TENANCY PROBLEMS.

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APART FROM THE ABOVE SERVICES, THE PUBLIC ENQUIRY SERVICE CENTRES ALSO HELPED TO DISTRIBUTE GOVERNMENT FORMS, LEAFLETS, POSTERS, CONSULTATIVE DOCUMENTS AND OTHER PUBLICITY MATERIALS.

ABOUT 9,763,000 FORMS AND OTHER INFORMATION MATERIALS WERE DISTRIBUTED LAST YEAR, 17.6 PER CENT OF WHICH WERE APPLICATION FORMS FOR GOVERNMENT VACANCIES REGISTRATION AS AN ELECTOR, HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME, VARIOUS GOVERNMENT COMPETITIONS AND ACTIVITIES.

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THE SPOKESMAN SAID ANYONE WHO WISHED TO

KNOW MORE ABOUT THE VARIOUS SERVICES AVAILABLE AT THESE CENTRES COULD APPROACH THE PUBLIC ENQUIRY SECTION AT CNTA HEADQUARTERS, 13TH FLOOR, WORLD SHIPPING CENTRE, HARBOUR CITY, 7 CANTON ROAD, TSIM SHA TSUI, KOWLOON, OR TELEPHONE 3-692255.

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