XN000022-1994-06-27 — Page 6

5

MONDAY, JUNE 27, 1994

"SECONDLY, THE CUMBERSOME CASH ORDER BOOK PAYMENT MECHANISM HAS BEEN ELIMINATED, HE SAID.

.

POINTING OUT THAT THE SOCIAL SECURITY CUSTOMERS NOW RECEIVED PAYMENT THROUGH BANK AUTO-PAY AND PROCESSING TIME FOR

HAD AUTO-PAY BEEN SHORTENED FROM EIGHT TO SIX WORKING DAYS, THE SOCIAL WELFARE CHIEF SAID CUSTOMERS COULD CHOOSE THE BANK MOST CONVENIENT TO THEM AND WERE NOT REQUIRED TO DRAW ALL THE MONTHLY PAYMENT AT ONE TIME.

"THIRDLY,

PROCESS HAS BEEN

THE EFFICIENCY AND ACCURACY OF THE ASSESSMENT IMPROVED SINCE, AFTER ENTERING ON-LINE PERSONAL PARTICULARS AND OTHER PARAMETERS FOR ASSESSMENT, THE SSPS WILL AUTOMATICALLY PERFORM THE NECESSARY CALCULATIONS.

"THIS FACILITY IS PARTICULARLY USEFUL IN THE ANNUAL ADJUSTMENT

OF PAYMENT RATES, MR STRACHAN SAID.

MR

BE STRACHAN SAID CUSTOMERS WOULD LATER THIS YEAR

PROVIDED WITH A MORE DETAILED BREAKDOWN OF THEIR MONTHLY PAYMENTS WHICH WOULD SHOW THE BASIC RATES AND WHERE APPLICABLE THE RENT ALLOWANCE AND OTHER SPECIAL GRANTS PAID TO EACH CUSTOMER.

SHIP MASTERS URGED TO KEEP PROPER LOOKOUT

* *

BETWEEN A

ON ΤΟ KEEP

THE REPORT OF THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE COLLISION PASSENGER FERRY, XING HU, AND A FISHING VESSEL, M62958A, IN MA WAN OCTOBER 4 LAST YEAR REVEALED THAT A FAILURE OF BOTH VESSELS A PROPER LOOKOUT WAS THE CAUSE OF THE COLLISION.

BETWEEN

CONTRIBUTORY

THE REPORT ALSO REVEALED THAT HYDRODYNAMIC INTERACTION THE PASSENGER FERRY AND THE FISHING VESSEL WAS LIKELY A FACTOR IN THE FINAL STAGE OF THE ENCOUNTER.

THE DIRECTOR OF MARINE, MR ALLAN FINDINGS OF THE REPORT.

PYRKE,

HAS

ACCEPTED

THE

MR TSE SIU-HUNG,

THE REPORTING OFFICER, SURVEYOR OF SHIPS, NOTED THAT KEEPING A LOOKOUT DID NOT MEAN ONLY LOOKING AHEAD.

"ONE MUST LOOK ALL AROUND AND FIND OUT WHETHER THERE IS A

HE SAID. OF COLLISION WITH OTHER VESSELS,'

+

RISK

ON THE DANGER OF INTERACTION BETWEEN VESSELS, MR OUT THAT THE DANGER EXISTED WHEN ONE VESSEL WAS OVERTAKING ANOTHER A CLOSE RANGE.

TSE POINTED

AT

"THE RISKS INTENSIFY IN SITUATIONS WHERE ONE IS A SMALL AND THE OTHER IS A BIG DISPLACEMENT VESSEL.

CRAFT

"THE SMALL, VESSEL CAN TAKE A VIOLENT UNCONTROLLED

THE DANGER RIGHT ACROSS THE BOWS OF THE BIG SHIP. INCREASES WITH SPEED AND IN SHALLOW WATERS,

TURN

AFTER

OF

INTERACTION

14

MR THE ADDED.

/"SMALL, CRAFT