XN000022-1996-06-05 — Page 8

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District Court Equal Opportunities Rules welcomed

The Chairperson of the Equal Opportunities Commission, Dr Fanny Cheung Mui-ching, welcomes the District Court Equal Opportunities Rules and the Labour Tribunal (General) (Amendment) Rules 1996 tabled to the Legislative Council today (Wednesday).

Dr Cheung recognises that the court is an important channel of redress for the aggrieved under the Sex Discrimination Ordinance and the Disability Discrimination Ordinance, and it is therefore important for the rules to spell out the measures that will enhance the accessibility of the court before the ordinances are put into operation.

The new Equal Opportunities Register provided for under the rules should facilitate the expeditious handling of cases filed under the two ordinances by the court.

Furthermore, the rules allow non-legally qualified representatives to appear in and address the court. Victims under the two ordinances will not be deterred on account of legal fees from bringing proceedings.

In line with the spirit of the two ordinances, the Equal Opportunities Commission is preparing a sound complaints handling and conciliation mechanism to ensure that a full range of legal services will be made available to claimants when it starts full operation targeted for September this year.

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Taxation agreement on airline income with Korea reached

Hong Kong has reached an agreement with the Republic of Korea on the arrangements to provide double taxation relief for airline income.

"The arrangements are contained in the Air Services Agreement between Hong Kong and the Republic of Korea which was signed in March 1996," a government spokesman said.

"Under the arrangements, Hong Kong will tax the income generated from international traffic of Hong Kong airlines derived from the Republic of Korea and which has been granted full tax relief by the Republic of Korea.