TNAG-2291-FCO40-3300-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-Taiwan-1991 — Page 114

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Kuk resumes talks on land Bill

THE media devoted prominent cover- age to the Heung Yee Kuk in-house meeting on the Town Planning (Amend- ment) B 1920 yesterday.

The chairman of the Kuk, Lau Wong-fat, said that the Heung Yee Kuk had decided to re-open talks with the Government on the Bill, but a date had yet to be fixed.

He said that the Kuk was still opposed to delaying the question of compensation. It would prepare a position paper on the Bill next week.

Mr Lau also said that the Kuk leaders were unhappy that the Gov- emment had adopted a stronger stand after the NCNA HK branch voiced its support or villagers in the New Terri- itories.

Speaking at a dinner reception hosted by the Heung Yee Kuk yester- day, the Deputy Secretary for Plan- ning, Environment and Lands, Bowen Leung, said that political factors would not be taken into account by the Gov- emment in handling the Bill,

He reiterated that the Bill was a

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Hel Taiwan relations.

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Smuggling: 12 held

CUSTOMS officers seized large quan- tities of electrical goods on board a departing Chinese vessel off Chai Wan on Wednesday night and arrested 12 mainlanders to assist in further investigations, the media reported.

A number of reports, quoting Customs and Excise Department offi- cers, noted that an average of some 60 Chinese vessels passed through HK waters to take goods back to China. The police believed that recently stepped-up anti-smuggling actions would boost smuggling activities by these vessels, the reports said.

The significant increase in armed robberies and car thefts in Mongkok prompted the authorities to deploy more police constables to patrol the district, some reports said.

A senior Police officer in charge of the Mongkok Police force said that there were 35 armed robbery cases and 2,200 car theft cases in the dis- trict in 1990, representing a 20 per cent increase over the figures for 1989. Only 40 per cent of these cases were solved.

non-political issue and that it was only Taiwan affairs post

concerned with land planning and environment Improvements in HK, Ming Pao reported.

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A NUMBER of papers reported that in an attempt to increase understanding among HK, China and Taiwan. the Government had asked for the Estab- lishment of a new post to study the political and economic eftsct the South China region and Taiwan had on utix.

Some reports quoted sources as saying that the Legco ad hoc group studying the Bill would tomorrow sub- mit a final paper on its suggestions on icompensation and the setting up of ang Independent Inquiry +following a full-new ¡review when the B came into affect.

CMB to increase fares

A proposal on the funding neithe post would be put. Harward to Finance Committee on January 11. A research officer from the 500 would be seconded to take up this post in HK.

THE China Motor Bus Company had Callers' views

formally lodged an application for fare increases to cope with the upsurge in fuel prices, the media reported.

The size of the increase was to be at an average increase of 27 per cent and the application, if approved, would mean that passengers had to pay between 30 cents and one dollar more per trip.

Taika-

SEVENTEEN callers to R-18 bout" this moming commented on a variety of issues.

Two callers opposed the imposi- tion of a surcharge on motor vehicle. premiums, saying that it was unfair for to pass the losses incurred by car thefts onto motorists.

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