Post_Office_1969-1970 — Page 18

PUBLIC OPINION

66. There was evidence of dissatisfaction in early 1970 regarding the transit time taken for mail to pass from posting to delivery. A large proportion of the complaints related to airmail matter from the United Kingdom, whilst there were also some complaints relating to the local service.

67. At the time various overseas post offices were apparently experiencing difficulties, and transmission times of air mail to Hong Kong were in many cases abnormal. However, it is possible that delays were aggravated by the incidence of Easter and Ching Ming which, occurring in successive weeks, caused some delay to deliveries, and also by the inexperience of new staff taken on in the first few weeks of the

year.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES

68. The establishment and operation of the telecommunication services in Hong Kong is subject to the provisions of the Telecom- munications Ordinance. The Telecommunications Authority is respon- sible for its administration and the licensing and regulation of the services specified in the Telecommunications Regulations. The Telecom- munications Division also advises on the provision of all types of telecommunication services for Government Departments.

69. The public telephone system is operated under the terms of the franchise granted in the Telephone Ordinance.

70. The Department advises the Government on general technical issues concerning the operation of the public telephone network and the provision of external telecommunication facilities and similar services. Liaison with the various companies concerned and the Armed Forces is provided through the Hong Kong Communications Board. A committee of this board is convened monthly to approve the allocation of frequencies.

Licensing and Inspection

71. The total revenue received during the year for all types of licences issued was $3,489,332, an increase of nearly 50% over the previous year. The number of television broadcast reception licences in force increased by nearly 55% to 76,335 and this figure is exclusive of the many television receivers in the Colony exempted from licensing under the Telecommunication Exemption (Rediffusion Television Sub-

11