Death
pr. pen.
!
Postal rates to
increase in April
A 'MEET THE MEDIA' session by the Posimaster General, Jominie Wong, yesterday was given a good run by the media on Saturday, with the reports generally playing up the point that postage might be increased in April.
Mr Wong said that postal charges might have to be reviewed more fre- quently if profit margins continued to decrease.
He said that it was hoped that a level of profit equivalent to 16 per cent could be achieved aiter postal charges were increased from April 1, other- wise postal rates might have to be revised again.
Death penalty review
THE Chairman of the Fight Crime Committee, Sir David Ford, had asked the chairmen of the 19 District Fight
Crime Committees to attend a meet- ing to be held on January 18, the papers reported in good coverage today.
It was expected that Sir David would hear views on the issue of bringing back the death penalty in view of the seriousness of recent crimes. It was noted that a number of the chairmen were in favour of bring- ing back the death penalty.
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However, chairman of Mongkok: Distrist. Fight Crime Com- mittee Tam Cheung Kil-ying felt that present legislation was sufficient to deter crime but that the maximum penalties had not been imposed in trials.
Chairman of the Kwun Tong Dis-
'Status after 1997 needs clarification'
THE chairman of the Senior Non- Sing, said that although the Basic Law expatriate Officers Association, Lau
had already spelt out the status of civil servants after 1997, minute details pertaining to the issue were still un- clear, Ta Kung Pao reported today.
Mr Lau said that worries still existed among civil servents that the future civil service structure would change and that their position would be affected.
He said that if civil servants from all grades could have closer communi- cations with the Chinese authorities, it would help eradicate their uncer· tainties.
Mr Lau also said that recent remarks by the director of the HK and Macau Affairs Office, Lu Ping, on the nationality of civil servants were help- ful in allaying the fear of civil ser- vants.
The Goverment had so far re- ceived more than 1000 applications for British citizenship under the Brit- ish nationality package, many papers and Radio-1 reported on Saturday, quoting Deputy Director of Admini- stration Regina lp.
Mrs ip sald that the smaller- than-expected number of applications did not indicate a cool response to wards the scheme. She expected the* number would rise after the Chiriebe New Year.
*
Mrs ip said that queias not yet filled in the first phase of the scheme would be allocated to the second phase, to be launched in 1994.
trict Fight Crime Committee Mao Chi Callers' views
on pointed out that the recent upsurge in crimes by Ills from China was due to the fact that mainlanders knew that HK did not have the death penalty.
Member of the Omelco Security Panel Michael Cheng said that the Issue of local bad elements importing lls from China to commit crimes should be tackled.
EIGHTEEN callers to R-1's "Talka- buut" this morning commented on а number of issues.
Two callers supported the build- ing of a new airport, saying that the project would generate tremendous revenue for the future SAR Govern- ment and create jobs for workers.
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