XN000022-1991-09-12 — Page 16

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1991

"THEREFORE THERE IS NO UNDER SUPPLY OF NEW FLATS."

MR POPE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT LAND SOLD TODAY WOULD NOT PRODUCE FLATS FOR ANOTHER THREE YEARS AND THEREFORE ANY SHORTAGE of LAND SUPPLY IN RECENT YEARS WOULD NOT AFFECT FLAT SUPPLY SITUATION FOR ANOTHER THREE YEARS.

HE NOTED THAT HONG KONG HAD HAD A FEW LEAN YEARS IN THE PROPERTY SECTOR FOLLOWING ON FROM THE EVENT IN CHINA IN JUNE 1989, THE BUILD UP TO AND THE EFFECT OF THE GULF WAR AND THE ONGOING UNCERTAINTY OF THE FUTURE OF THE NEW AIRPORT.

"THERE WAS NO REASON FOR THE BUILDINGS AND LANDS DEPARTMENT to BE BULLISH, AND PLAN TO SELL MORE LAND WHEN THE LAND DISPOSAL PROGRAMME WAS DRAWN UP IN MARCH THIS YEAR, HE SAID,

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HE ATTRIBUTED THE INCREASED DEMAND TO THE CHANGING SITUATION WITH THE SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION OF THE GULF WAR AND THE REACHING OF AGREEMENT WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT ON THE NEW AIRPORT.

AN

"SUDDENLY EVERY ONE WANTS TO BUY PROPERTY IN HONG KONG AND HAS DEVELOPED SHORT MEMORIES OF THE SITUATION EARLIER THIS YEAR," HE SAID.

ON FUTURE SUPPLY OF RESIDENTIAL LAND, НЕ SAID ANOTHER FIVE HECTARES OF LAND WOULD BE AVAILABLE NEXT YEAR IN TSEUNG KWAN

KWAN 0, ABOUT FOUR HECTARES IN TUEN MUN AND FANLING THE YEAR AFTER AND SIX: HECTARES IN HUNG HOM IN THE FOLLOWING YEARS.

HE SAID: "TO SAY NOTHING OF THE LAND IN OTHER LOCATIONS ALSO SOLD UNDER THE LAND SALES PROGRAMME AND THE LAND THAT WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE IN THE URBAN AREA BY THE SALE OF LAND CURRENTLY OCCUPIED BY GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS OF DIFFERENT TYPES."

APPEALING TO THE PUBLIC NOT ΤΟ PANIC, MR POPE SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS DOING ITS BIT, THE BANKS WERE DOING THEIRS BY HOLDING BACK ON MORTGAGES AND HE WAS SURE THE MARKET WOULD CORRECT ITSELF.

LABOUR DEPARTMENT FINDS JOB FOR EXPLOITED IMPORTED WORKERS

THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT HAS FOUND JOBS FOR FOUR IMPORTED WORKERS WHO WERE DISMISSED BY A GARMENT FACTORY LAST MONTH AFTER COMPLAINING ABOUT UNDERPAYMENT OF WAGES.

THE EMPLOYER CONCERNED HAS BEEN PROSECUTED.

"THE WORKERS WILL BE EMPLOYED BY ANOTHER GARMENT FACTORY FOR THE BALANCE OF THEIR ORIGINAL TWO-YEAR CONTRACT PERIOD UNDER THE TERMS OF THE SPECIAL LABOUR IMPORTATION SCHEME FOR EXPERIENCED OPERATIVES, THE ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, MR MAK SAI-YIU, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).

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/THE DEPARTMENT