XN000022-1992-04-29 — Page 20

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 1992

"DEPENDANTS OF OFFICERS WHO DIED IN SERVICE WHILST OCCUPYING DEPARTMENTAL QUARTERS ARE GIVEN PRIORITY IN THE ALLOCATION OF FLATS."

ABOUT 7,000 APPLICATIONS ARE RECEIVED EACH YEAR, AND THE CHANCES OF SUCCESS DEPEND MAINLY ON THE LENGTH OF SERVICE OF THE APPLICANT AND THE CHOICE OF HOUSING ESTATE.

THE AVERAGE LENGTH OF SERVICE OF SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS IS NINE YEARS, BUT SOME OFFICERS WITH FIVE YEARS OF SERVICE HAVE ALSO BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN OBTAINING UNITS IN LESS POPULAR ESTATES.

IN RESPONSE TO MR LEUNG'S CONCERN ON THE GOVERNMENT'S ASSISTANCE TO CIVIL SERVANTS, MR WIGGHAM SAID ALL CIVIL SERVANTS WITH AT LEAST 10 YEARS OF PENSIONABLE SERVICE MAY APPLY FOR A HOUSING LOAN EQUIVALENT TO THE MAXIMUM COMMUTED PENSION GRATUITY EARNED AT THE TIME OF APPLICATION.

"THE LOAN IS REPAYABLE OVER A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS WITH INTEREST AT A CONCESSIONARY RATE.

FOR

T+ JUNIOR CIVIL SERVANTS WITH 20 YEARS OF SERVICE MAY ALSO APPLY THE HOME PURCHASE SCHEME WHICH IS SUBJECT TO AN ANNUAL QUOTA OF 1,800 PLACES," HE ADDED.

GOVT REVENUE NOT AFFECTED BY CESSATION OF RATES RELIEF SCHEME

THE CESSATION OF THE RATES RELIEF SCHEME ON MARCH 31 THIS YEAR HAD NO DIRECT IMPACT ON THE GOVERNMENT'S REVENUE FORECASTS, THE SECRETARY FOR THE TREASURY, MR K.Y. YEUNG, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

THE EFFECT ON THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (A) OF NOT EXTENDING THE RELIEF SCHEME WOULD BE MARGINAL : A 'ONE-OFF' IMPACT OF LESS THAN ONE- TWENTIETH OF ONE PERCENTAGE POINT, MR YEUNG ADDED.

MR YEUNG SAID THE CESSATION OF THE SCHEME WOULD NOT DIRECTLY AFFECT REVENUE FORECASTS BECAUSE THE SCHEME WAS APPROVED BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL LAST YEAR AS A TEMPORARY MEASURE ONLY, DESIGNED TO CUSHION RATEPAYERS OF CERTAIN PREMISES FROM THE EFFECT OF THE REVALUATION OF THEIR PROPERTIES.

"IT IS, OF COURSE, LIKELY THAT FUTURE ACCOMPANIED BY SIMILAR SHORT-TERM RELIEF SCHEMES,

"I

REVALUATIONS WILL BE BUT, IN THE LONG

TERM, ALL PREMISES MUST CONTRIBUTE THEIR FAIR SHARE OF THE RATES BURDEN, MR YEUNG SAID, WHEN GIVING A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON LI WAH-MING.

MR YEUNG POINTED OUT THAT WERE THE RATES 'CAP' TO FOR ONE MORE YEAR, THE COST TO THE REVENUE WOULD REACH MILLION.

BE EXTENDED NEARLY $900

/"THIS WOULD

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