ENG-1955 — Page 279

224

HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT

Under the Financial Secretary, the purely accounting operations of the Government are managed and supervised by the Accountant-General, who is in charge of the Treasury. All public accounts, whether of general revenue and expenditure, or of special funds or departmental accounts, are subject to audit and inspection by the Audit Department, under a Director. The Rating and Valuation Department assesses rates, and the Inland Revenue Department assesses estate duty and various direct taxes levied under the Inland Revenue Ordinance. Each Department is headed by a Commissioner. The Department of Commerce and Industry, under a Director, deals with trade promotion, the collection of import and excise duties, preventive work, and production of statistics for all Departments. (See Chapter 4, Public Finance and Taxation.)

The Secretary for Chinese Affairs is the Governor's principal adviser on all matters connected with the Chinese population. His Department, the Secretariat for Chinese Affairs, provides facilities for the settlement of disputes and family cases, administers Chinese temples, maintains a District Watch Force, registers all newspapers and publica- tions, runs two tenancy enquiry bureaux, advises on deportations, performs important functions connected with the protection of women and children, and coordinates all welfare work. The Secretary for Chinese Affairs is president of the board of direction of the Po Leung Kuk, chairman of the Tung Wah Hospital Advisory Board, and supervises the administration of large public charities. He is chairman of committees dealing with Chinese permanent cemeteries, recreation grounds, and many other matters concerning Chinese life. He is also the statutory ward of all adopted daughters in the Colony. The Social Welfare Office, a Department closely associated with the Secretariat for Chinese Affairs, is described in the Social Welfare Chapter.

The Department of Medical and Health Services, and the Department of Urban Services are described in the chapter on Public Health, the Department of Education in the Education Chapter.

The Labour Department, under a Commissioner who is concurrently Commissioner of Mines, is described in the chapter on Occupations, Wages and Labour Organization.