The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Housing Authority:

     Residents at Phase II of On Tai Estate at On Sau Road in Kwun Tong, Kowloon, began moving into three of the domestic blocks today (May 10). The estate is one of the public rental housing (PRH) estates within the Anderson Road Development Area. This shows the continuous efforts of the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) to provide affordable rental housing to eligible low-income families with housing needs.

     "The three non-standard domestic blocks, namely Kui Tai House, Wo Tai House and King Tai House, are 30 storeys, 30 storeys and 31 storeys in height respectively, providing a total of about 2 640 PRH units for about 7 760 residents," a spokesman for the HA said. 

     The intake for the four domestic blocks at Phase I of On Tai Estate, namely Ming Tai House, Chi Tai House, Yung Tai House and Kam Tai House, providing about 2 850 units for about 7 900 residents, was conducted last year.

     On Tai Estate offers a number of recreational facilities including outdoor children's playgrounds, basketball courts, badminton courts and table-tennis tables. In addition, there will be two community farms for residents' use.

     A fast food restaurant in the shopping centre, a wet market, a carpark, two kindergartens and a community service centre will provide services later this year. The rest of the shops in the shopping centre will be completed by the second half of this year.

     The intake of residents for the remaining four domestic blocks at On Tai Estate will take place later this year. There will be around 8 500 PRH units for about 25 000 residents upon completion of the intake for the entire estate.

      

     A man who went missing in Sham Shui Po had been located.

     Woo Kai-yuen, aged 66, went missing after he left an elderly home on Lai Chi Kok Road on May 7 morning. Staff of the elderly home made a report to Police on the next day (May 8).

     The man returned to the elderly home this morning (May 10).

The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:

     The meeting of the Legislative Council (LegCo) Finance Committee originally scheduled at 3pm tomorrow (May 11) in Conference Room 1 of the LegCo Complex will start at 3.45pm.

     The Rating and Valuation Department (RVD) today (May 10) reminded the public that proposals to alter the rateable value of properties from April 1 this year must be served on the Commissioner of Rating and Valuation by May 31.

     Proposals should be made on the specified form (R20A) and be served by post or in person. Copies of the form can be obtained from the department at Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 15/F, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Kowloon, and the Home Affairs Enquiry Centres of the Home Affairs Department. The form can also be downloaded from RVD's website (www.rvd.gov.hk).

     The public can also lodge proposals on an electronic form (e-R20A) using the Electronic Submission of Forms service provided on the department's website. Proposals sent by fax are not acceptable.

     An RVD spokesman emphasised that under the Rating Ordinance and the Government Rent (Assessment and Collection) Ordinance, proposals served after May 31 will not be accepted.

     "Notwithstanding the lodging of a proposal, rates and rent payers must pay rates and government rent by the last day for payment shown on the demand notes. We will carefully consider all proposals and inform the proposers of our decisions before December 1. Any changes in rates and government rent payable resulting from such decisions will date back to April 1 this year and any overpayment will be adjusted in subsequent demands," he said.

     For enquiries, please call 2152 0111.

     The Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Lau Kong-wah, will depart for Shenzhen tomorrow morning (May 11) to attend a forum on co-operation of Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao cultural industries and cultural co-operation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area. Mr Lau will speak at the opening ceremony of the forum.

     The forum is one of the events of the 14th China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair. It aims at enhancing cultural exchange and exploring new opportunities among the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao. The event also acts as a platform for performance venue operators on the Mainland and arts groups from Hong Kong to get to know each other, so as to explore co-operation opportunities. Around 100 representatives from Hong Kong arts groups have registered for the activities of the forum tomorrow.

     To assist Hong Kong arts groups to hold exchanges in the cities in the Bay Area and all over the world, the Budget this year stated that the Government will allocate $140 million to the Leisure and Cultural Services Department to support local arts groups and artists for performances and cultural exchanges in the Bay Area, and progressively increase the recurrent provision to $50 million to support Hong Kong arts groups for outbound cultural exchanges.

     Mr Lau will return to Hong Kong in the afternoon on the same day.