TNAG-0620-FCO40-768-Annual-accounts-of-Hong-Kong-Government-for-year-ending-1976-1977 — Page 67

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Head 68-Public Works Department: Water Supplies

There was only one significant variation under this Head, namely a saving of $472,100 (81.3%) under 'Plant and equipment' as a result of delayed submission of final bills for equipment supplied.

Head 69-Public Works Recurrent

There were a number of substantial variations between approved provisions and actual expenditure. Among the most significant were:

Excesses:

In the case of Architectural Office, an excess of $3,263,612 (11.5%) under ‘Government buildings' because of an increase in the expenditure approved for general maintenance during the year and an excess of $370,751 (185.4%) under "Typhoon and rainstorm damage and emergency repairs' because of necessary remedial works carried out after rainstorms in April and May of 1975. In the case of Highways Office, an excess of $3,880,980 (34.6%) under 'Lighting' due to increased electricity charges and fuel costs for street lighting, an excess of $3,377,005 (18.4%) under 'Maintenance, minor alterations and improvements' largely because more maintenance work was necessary as a result of the exceptionally high rainfall during the summer months and because approximately $1 million was spent on a contract for traffic diversion which was not included in the approved estimate, and an excess of $4,485,302 (448.5%) under 'Typhoon and rainstorm damage and emergency repairs' because of urgent repairs required as a result of typhoons and rainstorms. In the case of Waterworks Office there was an excess of $580,733 (72.6%) under 'Water meters' because an additional 50,000 water meters were purchased during the year instead of in 1976/77 as originally intended, and an excess of $600,193 (200.1%) under 'Works executed on private account' due to urgent requests by consumers for the diversion of water pumping mains near Telegraph Bay and Dyer Avenue,

Savings:

Significant savings occurred under votes controlled by five of the offices. Under Buildings Ordinance Office there was a saving of $2,651,465 (75.8%) on 'Works executed on private account' partly because the number of referrals from Urban Services Department concerning faulty drainage systems requiring repair in multiple ownership buildings decreased and partly because private owners carried out more required repair work on their own account than had been anticipated at the time when the estimate was prepared. Under Crown Lands and Survey Office there was a saving of $283,309 (63%) on 'Management of buildings on land reverted to the Crown' because the normal annual inspection of buildings under management and detailed inspection of buildings newly taken over could not be carried out owing to the heavy workload of the Property Management Section and so only urgent or essential repairs were undertaken, and a saving of $1,850,060 (30.8%) under 'Management of Crown land in the urban area' because many clearances with lower priority were postponed in favour of more urgent clearances of Mass Transit Railway sites and work on many urban area sites was delayed. In the case of Electrical and Mechanical Office there was a saving of $3,487,044 (38.7%) under 'Operation and maintenance of major installations' due mainly to delays in delivery of stores, economies in oil usage and the fact that Lai Chi Kok Plant 'B' did not come into full operation during the year. In the case of Highways Office there was a saving of $1,376,936 (45.9%) under 'Maintenance and extension of cemeteries' because of a lower than expected price for the contract and a decrease in the amount of the maintenance work required, and saving of $1,137,257 (12.0%) under 'Works executed on private account' because of over estimation of the volume of private building development. In the case of Waterworks Office there was a saving of $822,473 (18.3%) under 'Replacement of, and minor extensions to, distribution mains' and $387,971 (14.6%) under 'Replacement of, and minor extensions to, salt water mains' because mainlaying works required in conjunction with roadworks have been deferred, and a saving of $47,748,472 (32.5%) under 'Waterworks, supply and maintenance' mainly because of an agreement reached with the contractor for the desalting plant regarding curtailment of the period of tests on completion of No. 2 and No. 6 units from the specified 180 days to a reduced period of 30 days.

Head 70-Public Works Non-Recurrent: Headquarters

Of the 11 subheads in the printed estimates 10 produced savings and one an excess. The excess was significant in amount ($284,099 or 100%) and occurred under ‘Photogrammetric works' because bills for work carried out in the previous year were submitted late and paid in the current year. The savings occurred under 'Compensation for surrenders and resumptions', $6,312,616 (26.2%) mainly because (a) urban schemes at Tin Lok Lane and Caroline Hill Road costing over $4.5 million could not be completed during the year and (b) urban renewal pilot scheme cases involving some $4 million were still under negotiation; under "Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway: 001 Land: Acquisitions, management and reprovisioning of buildings', $39,468,219 (69.9%) because of a slight

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