XN000022-1992-03-11 — Page 15

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 1992

"THE HOUSING AUTHORITY CONSIDERS APPLICATIONS FROM A AGENCY FOR PREMISES FOR NLCDP IN THE CONTEXT OF ALL OTHER AND HAVING REGARD TO THE WISHES OF ESTATE RESIDENTS.

VOLUNTARY PRIORITIES

"TO DATE, 13 UNITS IN MARK III

VI ESTATES HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED TO NLCDP TEAMS FOR USE AS A BASE FOR THEIR WORK IN THE ESTATE; THERE IS ONE APPLICATION STILL BEING PROCESSED," MR SUEN SAID.

UNDER CURRENT POLICY, MR SUEN STRESSED, IF VACANT PREMISES FAIL TO ATTRACT COMMERCIAL TENANTS AFTER REPEATED ATTEMPTS ΤΟ LET, CONSIDERATION MAY BE GIVEN TO CONVERSION OF SUCH PREMISES ΤΟ COMMUNITY USE, PROVIDED THAT SUCH USE WOULD NOT ADVERSELY AFFECT THE BUSSINESS ENVIRONMENT OF NEARBY SHOPS.

HE ALSO SAID IT WAS THE AIM TO PROVIDE, AS FAR AS POSSIBLE, PREMISES THAT MEET THE OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES LAID DOWN BY THE HONG KONG COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICES.

**FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CENTRES, PREMISES BETWEEN 50 TO 140 SQUARE METRES ARE CONSIDERED APPROPRIATE FOR ALLOCATION.

"BASED ON OPERATIONAL EXPERIENCE, IT HAS BEEN POSSIBLE TO MAKE AVAILABLE PREMISES WITHIN THIS RANGE FOR USE BY THESE CENTRES, HE SAID.

IN CONCLUSION, MR SUEN SAID PROVIDED THAT SUITABLE PREMISES WERE AVAILABLE AND THAT ALL SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS WERE SUBMITTED TOGETHER WITH THE APPLICATION, IT HAD BEEN POSSIBLE TO COMPLETE THE PROCESSING WITHIN FOUR MONTHS FROM THE DATE OF SUBMISSION.

INLAND REVENUE AMENDMENT (NO. 2) BILL INTRODUCED

1992

THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THE INLAND REVENUE (AMENDMENT) (NO. 2) BILL IS TO EXEMPT FROM PROFITS TAX INCOME DERIVED FROM GOODS AND PASSENGERS UPLIFTED IN HONG KONG BY SHIPS REGISTERED ON THE HONG KONG SHIPPING REGISTER.

MOVING THE BILL FOR THE SECOND READING IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY), THE SECRETARY FOR THE TREASURY, MR K.Y. YEUNG SAID MAJOR WORLD SHIP REGISTRATION CENTRES, OTHER THAN HONG KONG, DID NOT CHARGE TAX ON PROFITS MADE BY OWNERS OF SHIPS REGISTERED WITH THEM.

INSTEAD, THEY LEVIED INITIAL

CHARGES.

REGISTRATION

FEES AND ANNUAL

TO

MR YEUNG SAID AT PRESENT THERE WAS A DISINCENTIVE FOR SHIPS JOIN THE HONG KONG REGISTER, BECAUSE HERE THEY WERE SUBJECT BOTH TO FEES AND CHARGES AND TO PROFITS TAX.

/"BY EXEMPTING