XN000022-1993-03-17 — Page 10

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17, 1993

HEAVY

FROM JUNE 1. ALL LIGHT GOODS VEHICLES WILL BE EXAMINED ANNUALLY, WHILE THE ANNUAL INSPECTION PROGRAMME FOR MEDIUM AND GOODS VEHICLES WILL BE STRENGTHENED TO COVER VEHICLES OF FIVE YEARS OLD INSTEAD OF SEVEN YEARS. BY 1994 ALL GOODS VEHICLES WILL BE INSPECTED ANNUALLY.

FOR LONG-TERM STRATEGIC TRANSPORT PLANNING, MR LEUNG SAID THE SECOND COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPORT STUDY UPDATE HAD BEEN SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETED, A PUBLIC CONSULTATION EXERCISE ON THE RAILWAY DEVELOPMENT STUDY WAS ABOUT TO BEGIN AND THE FREIGHT TRANSPORT STUDY SHOULD BE COMPLETED IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.

SWD BUDGET ON RISE

* * * *

THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT PLANS TO SPEND A TOTAL OF $7,633 MILLION, INCLUDING $224 MILLION FROM THE LOTTERIES FUND THIS YEAR.

THIS REPRESENTS AN INCREASE OF $578 MILLION OR 8.2 PER CENT OVER THE PROVISION FOR 1992/93.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MR IAN STRACHAN TODAY (WEDNESDAY) AFTER ATTENDING A SPECIAL FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING ON THE 1993/94 DRAFT ESTIMATES.

BOTH THE QUANTITY AND THE QUALITY OF SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES WOULD BE IMPROVED, MR STRACHAN STRESSED.

"THE SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN FINANCIAL PROVISION IN THE SOCIAL WELFARE PROGRAMME AREA REFLECTS THE GOVERNMENT'S COMMITMENT TO FURTHER IMPROVE THE WELL-BEING OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. IN PARTICULAR, THOSE IN NEED," HE ADDED.

MR STRACHAN SAID ADDITIONAL RESOURCES WOULD BE USED TO MEET THREE MAJOR POLICY TARGETS.

THESE INCLUDE THE KEY TARGETS SET BY THE WHITE PAPER ON SOCIAL WELFARE AS WELL AS THE GREEN PAPER ON REHABILITATION.

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW COMPREHENSIVE SOCIAL SECURITY ASSISTANCE SCHEME WILL ALSO TAKE UP A SIGNIFICANT EXPENDITURE BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT.

HE SAID THE MOST SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN THE WELFARE FRONT WAS THE INTRODUCTION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE SOCIAL SECURITY ASSISTANCE SCHEME, WHICH WOULD BE INTRODUCED ON JULY 1,

..

"THE MONTHLY PAYMENT RECEIVED BY THE CLIENTS WILL BE IMPROVED IN REAL TERMS BY BETWEEN FOUR PER CENT AND 32 PER CENT AND WILL BE OVER AND ABOVE THE REGULAR ADJUSTMENT FOR INFLATION, HE SAID, ADDING THAT MORE THAN 100,000 OF THE MORE VULNERABLE MEMBERS WILL BENEFIT FROM THE SCHEME.

/HE ALSO

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