XN000022-1994-11-25 — Page 22

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1994

OVER 1,700 OUTLETS FOR SENIOR CITIZEN CARDS

CONCESSIONS

OF

THERE ARE 1,775 OUTLETS IN THE TERRITORY OFFERING OR PRIORITY SERVICES TO SENIOR CITIZEN CARD HOLDERS, THE DIRECTOR SOCIAL WELFARE, MR IAN STRACHAN, SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).

MORE

AND

SPEAKING AT THE CERTIFICATE-PRESENTATION CEREMONY OF THE SENIOR AND MORE COMPANIES CARD

HE SCHEME,

SAID ESTABLISHMENTS AT THE LOCAL DISTRICT LEVEL PARTICIPATED IN THE SCHEME.

CITIZEN

THEY INCLUDE PUBLIC LIGHT BUS COMPANIES, NOODLE SHOPS, TEA SHOPS, OPTICAL SHOPS AND PRIVATE MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS.

HERBAL

"AS ONE OF THE NEW INITIATIVES TO PROMOTE COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR SENIOR CITIZENS, WE HAVE LAUNCHED THE SENIOR CITIZEN CARD SCHEME SINCE MARCH 10, 1994.

"SENIOR CITIZEN CARDS ARE ISSUED FREE OF CHARGE TO KONG RESIDENTS AGED 65 OR ABOVE AT FIRST ISSUE. THE CARD IS A RECOGNISED PROOF OF AGE AND WILL FACILITATE SENIOR CITIZENS ACCESS TO CONCESSIONARY FARES, DISCOUNT AND PRIORITY STRACHAN SAID.

ALL HONG GENERAL TO HAVE

SERVICES, MR

OF HE SAID THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT HAD RECEIVED A TOTAL

AND TO THE END OF OCTOBER

334,000 SENIOR APPLICATIONS UP 341,000 CITIZEN CARDS HAD BEEN ISSUED AND MAILED TO THE APPLICANTS

"

+

SUCH A SHORT WE ARE ABLE TO PROCESS SO MANY CARDS WITHIN

OF VERY EFFICIENT PERIOD OF TIME NOT ONLY BECAUSE WE HAVE A TEAM

VOLUNTEERS ENTHUSIASTIC STAFF, BUT

VERY A GROUP OF OVER 70 SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY CENTRES, WHO HAD DEVOTED THEIR TIME IN

H HE ADDED. US PROCESS SOME OF THE CARDS,

FROM HELPING

APPRECIATION TO

MR STRACHAN LATER PRESENTED CERTIFICATES OF MORE THAN 50 COMPANIES THAT HAD TAKEN PART IN THE SCHEME.

NO PLAN TO TERMINATE NEIGHBOURHOOD PROJECTS

THE GOVERNMENT HAS NO INTENTION TO LEVEL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS (NLCDP) AREAS TO BE SERVED BY THESE TEAMS UNDER THE POLICY.

TERMINATE AS LONG EXISTING

NEIGHBOURHOOD AS THERE ARE CRITERION AND

AT A MEETING OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WELFARE SERVICES PANEL, THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MR IAN STRACHAN, THE DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS, MRS BRENDA FUNG AND OTHER GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS BRIEFED MEMBERS ON THE BACKGROUND AND LATEST DEVELOPMENTS CONCERNING THE SERVICE.

MEMBERS WERE TOLD THAT NLCDPS WERE INTRODUCED IN THE 1970S TO DEPRIVED AND TRANSIENT COMMUNITIES WHERE THE PROVISION OF WELFARE SERVICES WERE INADEQUATE OR NON-EXISTENT.

/THESE TEMPORARY