XN000022-1988-07-15 — Page 13

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FRIDAY, JULY 15, 1988

HE ADDED: "THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IS CONCERNED WITH ENABLING THESE PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO HOPE OF A FUTURE RESETTLEMENT IN THE WEST TO GO BACK TO THEIR OWN COUNTRY AND THAT IS WHAT WE ARE CONCERNED WITH."

THE SCREENING PROGRAMME TO WEED OUT ECONOMIC IMMIGRANTS FROM GENUINE REFUGEES WAS STILL PROGRESSING, SIR DAVID SAID: "IT'S A LENGTHY PROCESS, OF COURSE. IT HAS TO BE DONE IN GREAT DETAIL AND VERY CAREFULLY ACCORDING TO THE UNHCR CRITERIA. IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT CAN BE RUSHED. EVERY CASE IS LOOKED AT VERY CAREFULLY."

ASKED ABOUT REPORTS OF FIGHTING INSIDE CAMPS, SIR DAVID SAID: "I THINK AS FAR AS THESE SORTS OF CAMPS ARE CONCERNED, WHERE THERE ARE PEOPLE LIVING IN CLOSE CONDITIONS LIKE THIS, IT'S INEVITABLE THERE WILL BE DISPUTES BETWEEN FAMILIES, DISPUTES OVER BELONGINGS, DISPUTES OVER THEIR FOOD AND WATER AND SO ON.

"THEY ARE NOT SERIOUS. I THINK THEY ARE TO BE EXPECTED.'

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REPLYING TO A QUESTION ON THE REFUSAL BY SOME ΠΕΙ LING CHAU REFUGEES TO TAKE THEIR MEALS RECENTLY, SIR DAVID SAID THE MATTER WAS VERY QUICKLY SETTLED AND IT WAS NOT A SERIOUS INCIDENT.

INCREASED LEVEL OF COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES RECORDED * * * * *

MAJOR INCREASES OF ACTIVITY IN MOST COMMERCIAL AREAS AND MINOR DECREASES IN OTHERS WERE RECORDED DURING THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THIS YEAR BY COMPARISON WITH THE SAME PERIOD IN 1987, ACCORDING TO RELEASED TODAY (FRIDAY) BY THE REGISTRAR GENERAL'S DEPARTMENT.

FIGURES

OF

THE COMPANIES REGISTRY FIGURES SHOWED THAT THE TOTAL NUMBER COMPANIES REGISTERED UNDER THE COMPANIES ORDINANCE AT THE END OF JUNE 1988 AS COMPARED WITH THE TOTAL NUMBER AT THE END OF DECEMBER 1987 HAD INCREASED BY 6 PER CENT FROM 185,588 TO 196,852.

THE NUMBER OF NEW COMPANIES REGISTERED DURING THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF 1988 HAD INCREASED BY 7 PER CENT FROM 11,860 TO 12,657 AS COMPARED WITH THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD OF 1987.

THE TOTAL NUMBER OF OVERSEAS COMPANIES WHICH HAD ESTABLISHED A PLACE OF BUSINESS IN HONG KONG UNDER PART ΧΙ OF THE COMPANIES ORDINANCE AT THE END OF JUNE 1988 AS COMPARED WITH THE TOTAL NUMBER AT THE END OF DECEMBER 1987 HAD INCREASED BY 0.7 PER CENT FROM 2,289 TO 2,306.

/THE NUMBER