XN000022-1994-04-27 — Page 40

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 1994

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STAFF RECRUITED TO SPEED UP LAND TRANSACTIONS

THE LANDS DEPARTMENT WILL RECRUIT ADDITIONAL STAFF DURING THIS FINANCIAL YEAR, AND THE RECRUITMENT WILL START AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE TO HELP ACCELERATE THE PROCESSING OF LAND TRANSACTIONS, THE SECRETARY FOR PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT AND LANDS, MR TONY EASON, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

KA-CHEUNG,

IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON ERIC LI MR EASON SAID: "MEANS OF SPEEDING UP TRANSACTION TIMES ARE ALWAYS BEING EXAMINED AND WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT THE ADDITIONAL STAFF WILL PRODUCE POSITIVE RESULTS."

WHILE NOTING THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO QUANTIFY THE IMPROVEMENT EXPECTED PRECISELY AS PROCESSING TIMES VARY CONSIDERABLY DEPENDING ON THE TYPE AND COMPLEXITY OF INDIVIDUAL CASES, HE SAID THE FOLLOWING TIME LIMITS RELATING SPECIFICALLY TO LEASE MODIFICATIONS WOULD BE STIPULATED IN THE PERFORMANCE PLEDGE OF THE DEPARTMENT:

*

A REPLY TO AN APPLICATION FOR A LEASE MODIFICATION, ADVISING THE APPLICANT WHETHER THE CASE CAN BE ENTERTAINED OR NOT AND IDENTIFYING THE CASE OFFICER, WILL BE GIVEN WITHIN THREE WEEKS OF RECEIPT OF THE APPLICATION;

IN STRAIGHTFORWARD CASES, A LETTER OF OFFER SETTING OUT THE BASIC TERMS INCLUDING THE PREMIUM PAYABLE, OR A LETTER REJECTING THE APPLICATION, WILL BE ISSUED WITHIN 26 WEEKS FROM RECEIPT OF THE APPLICATION; AND

ONCE ACCEPTANCE OF AN OFFER HAD BEEN RECEIVED, THE LEGAL DOCUMENT IN RESPECT OF STRAIGHTFORWARD CASES WILL BE ISSUED FOR EXECUTION WITHIN 13 WEEKS OF ACCEPTANCE.

MR EASON STRESSED THAT THE DIRECTOR OF LANDS WAS DETERMINED то ENSURE THAT THE ADDITIONAL STAFF WOULD HELP IMPROVE THE PROCESSING OF LAND TRANSACTIONS.

TERRITORY-WIDE CONTROL ON BANNER DISPLAY UNDER CONSIDERATION

THE ADMINISTRATION IS STILL CONSIDERING WHETHER THE PILOT SCHEME ON THE CONTROL OF DISPLAY OF BANNERS INTRODUCED IN WAN CHAI CAN BE APPLIED TO OTHER DISTRICTS, THE SECRETARY FOR PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT AND LANDS, MR TONY EASON, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

FINANCIAL WOULD BE AN ANNUAL

REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON MRS PEGGY LAM IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR EASON NOTED THAT THE STAFFING AND IMPLICATIONS OF DOING SO WERE THAT UP TO 28 STAFF MEMBERS REQUIRED то IMPLEMENT THE SCHEME THROUGHOUT HONG KONG AT COST OF $5.8 MILLION.

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